A/RES/52/99 Page 3 (i) General recommendation 14 of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women concerning female genital mutilation,14 (j) Article 24 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child,15 which provides that States parties shall take all effective and appropriate measures with a view to abolishing traditional practices prejudicial to the health of children, (k) The Ninth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders, held at Cairo from 29 April to 8 May 1995,16 in particular its resolution 8 of 7 May 1995 on the elimination of violence against women, (l) The extensive work of the Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children, Reaffirming that certain traditional or customary practices affecting the health of women and girls constitute a definite form of violence against women and girls and a serious violation of their human rights, and expressing concern at the continuing large-scale existence of such practices, 1. Welcomes: (a) The progress achieved by a number of Governments in their struggle against harmful traditional or customary practices, in particular against female genital mutilation, and encourages the Governments in question to continue and to increase their efforts aimed at the eradication of these practices; (b) The work carried out by the Special Rapporteur of the Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities on traditional practices affecting the health of women and children; (c) The joint statement by the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children's Fund and the United Nations Population Fund on female genital mutilation, which expresses a common purpose in supporting the efforts of Governments and communities to promote and protect the health and development of women and children by promoting awareness of the problem and by educating the public, health workers and those who carry out the practice, on all its health consequences; (d) The appointment of a special ambassador of the United Nations Population Fund for the elimination of female genital mutilation; (e) The efforts undertaken by the United Nations Population Fund, the United Nations Children's Fund, the United Nations Development Fund for Women and other United Nations bodies, programmes and organizations to raise awareness of this issue; (f) The work carried out by non-governmental and community organizations in raising awareness of the harmful effects of female genital mutilation and other traditional or customary practices affecting the health of women and girls; 14 Official Records of the General Assembly, Forty-fifth Session, Supplement No. 38 (A/45/38), para. 438. 15 Resolution 44/25, annex. 16 See A/CONF.169/16, chap. I. /...