Ending violence against women a priority, says Ban Ki-moon

The UN secretary general has insisted ending violence against women is one of his top priorities.

Ban Ki-moon highlighted female genital mutilation (FGM) as one issue he is particularly keen to address and reaffirmed his backing for a campaign designed to tackle the problem in the UK, the Guardian reports.

Fahma Mohamed, a 17-year-old student, successfully lobbied for the British government to issue schools with information on FGM and guidance on how to deal with the issue effectively.

Mr Ki-moon described the campaign as "very noble" and "courageous" and pledged to use the UN's resources to raise awareness on a global scale.

"I will spare nothing, I will mobilise all UN tools and agencies to help promote this campaign," he commented.

Mr Ki-moon went on to praise the Guardian for getting behind Ms Mohamed's efforts, saying it was able to use its "prestigious" and "well-respected" name to "make a difference".

This, he said, demonstrates the positive contribution to the world that journalism and the mass media can make.