United Nations, New York, February 2012 - A senior United Nations official and the renowned singer-songwriter Angélique Kidjo today urged all UN Member States and communities to outlaw female genital mutilation (FGM) and raise awareness about its harmful effects, especially in African countries where the practice is most prevalent.

Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), told a news conference at UN Headquarters that many communities are increasingly abandoning FGM thanks to the use of "culturally sensitive, human rights-based approaches that support the positive values within communities that want the best for their girls and women."