UN committee calls for FGM ban

A United Nations (UN) committee has called for a ban on female genital mutilation (FGM).

The group has approved a resolution that urged member states to outlaw the practice, which it described as a serious and harmful threat to the health of young women.

A ban in all of the UN's 193 nations was called for by the general assembly's human rights committee, in addition to the launch of educational campaigns to help eliminate it.

More than 100 sponsors were behind the resolution, meaning it is highly likely to be accepted, despite not being legally binding.

Commenting on the approval, Italian UN ambassador Cesare Maria Ragalini described it as a "breakthrough".

"I think that together we can change the fate of many young girls around the world and today this goal appears closer than ever," he said.

Earlier in the month, a number of villages in Kenya joined together to create an FGM-free zone in an effort to clamp down on the practice.