The European Union, in a general comment delivered at the 62nd session of the UN Human Rights Council on 7 July 2026, warned that more than 100 million girls will become child brides over the next decade if current trends persist, calling child, early and forced marriage a human rights violation that disproportionately affects women and girls worldwide. The statement, delivered by the EU delegation in Geneva, noted that over 650 million women alive today were married before age 18 and that progress toward the Sustainable Development Goal of eliminating the practice by 2030 remains far too slow.
The EU's intervention came during the Council's agenda item 3, focused on a draft resolution on child, early and forced marriage. The EU welcomed the draft's recognition of heightened risks in conflict and humanitarian emergencies, as well as its emphasis on access to education as essential for prevention. The statement highlighted that women and girls subjected to such marriages face heightened risks of sexual and gender-based violence, discrimination and abuse, and that the practice disrupts education, limits economic empowerment and undermines full participation in political, economic and social life.
The EU expressed firm conviction that the draft resolution reflects a transparent, inclusive and constructive informal negotiation process. The comment did not propose new EU measures but reaffirmed the bloc's longstanding position and support for international commitments to end child marriage by 2030. No prior EU coverage on this specific file exists in the last 180 days.