Summary

The present report is submitted pursuant to General Assembly resolution 75/167 of 16 December 2020 on child, early and forced marriage. Covering the period from June 2020 to May 2022, it builds on the previous report of the Secretary-General on the same subject (A/75/262), providing an update on progress made towards ending child, early and forced marriage in the context of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The present report contains an overview of the way the pandemic has affected the key factors influencing child, early and forced marriage. It illustrates, for instance, that child, early and forced marriage may have been used as a way for economically vulnerable families to reduce their financial burden by downsizing the household and gaining immediate access to financial benefits, such as the bride price. It reviews the various measures taken to address the issue, including in the context of COVID-19 related restrictions, and highlights the main challenges. In the present report, the Secretary-General also discusses research initiatives and data collection. It provides a set of recommendations on measures to be taken by States, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, aimed at eliminating the practice of child, early and forced marriage.