Africa

The general sparked controversy recently with a social media threat to behead the opposition leader.

The general sparked controversy recently with a social media threat to behead the opposition leader.

Former Premier League and Nigeria striker Peter Odemwingie is now a golf professional with ambitions to boost the sport in his homeland.

A selection of the week's best photos from across the African continent and beyond.

A selection of the week's best photos from across the African continent and beyond.

Press Briefing on Launch of 2025 World Economic Situation and Prospects Report at the United Nations Headquarters. Credit: UN Photo/Loey Felipe

By Oritro Karim
UNITED NATIONS, Jan 10 2025 (IPS)

In the past few years, the world economy has made significant strides in mitigating inflation, unemployment, and poverty. Despite this, global growth has yet to regain its pace from before the pandemic.

This can be attributed to a host of issues that are plaguing the world, including climate shocks, armed conflicts and rising geopolitical tensions. These issues have disproportionately adverse effects on developing nations. It is imperative to come up with a solution that advances economic growth for all in order to get back on track with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“Several structural factors, including high depth burdens, limited fiscal space, weak investments, and low productivity growth, continue to hinder the economic prospects for developing countries. Climate change and the geopolitical tensions pose additional risks,” said Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) Li Junhua.

On January 9, the United Nations (UN) released a report titled World Economic Prospects 2025 that detailed the global economic situation as well as measures that can be taken to alleviate economic distress. According to the report, the world economy has remained relatively “resilient” over the course of 2024, despite extensive occurrences of climate-driven disasters and armed conflicts. Economic development is predicted to increase by 2.9 percent in 2025, which is virtually unchanged from 2024’s rate. This is still far below the rate of average economic growth recorded prior to 2020.

Major world economies, such as the United States, the European Union, and Japan, have experienced gradual economic recoveries in the past year. On the contrary, developing nations continue to struggle with high rates of youth unemployment, poverty, and inflation, all contributing to lower rates of economic growth.

Demographic pressures and increasingly high labour market demands have created bouts of unemployment among younger generations in developing nations. According to figures from the report, rates of youth unemployment remain a pressing concern in Western Asia, North Africa, South Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

Approximately 20 percent of young people in these areas are unemployed. High numbers of these populations rely on informal employment, which often yields low pay and few to no benefits. Due to limited fiscal space in these national economies, there have been lower rates of job creation and young people struggle to enter labour markets.

Most young workers still lack social protection and remain in temporary jobs that make it hard for them to get ahead as independent adults. Decent work is a ticket to a better future for young people. And a passport for social justice, inclusion and peace. The time to create the opportunities for a brighter future is now,” said Sara Elder, the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Head of Employment Analyses and Public Policies.

ILO Director-General Gilbert Houngbo adds that “none of us can look forward to a stable future when millions of young people around the world do not have decent work and, as a result, are feeling insecure and unable to build a better life for themselves and their families.”

Although global rates of inflation have trended downward in recent years, developing countries continue to face high levels of inflation in their economies. According to the Director of Economic Analysis and Policy Division at the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Shantanu Mukherjee, the global rates of inflation were estimated to be six percent in 2024 and projected at 5.4 percent in 2025. These numbers are 1.5 times those for developing nations.

“That’s a sign of how severe the cost of living crisis is for most of us outside of this room. In 2024, if you look at the amount of public money that was used to service debt, the median country allocated 11.1 percent of its revenue. That’s more than 4 times the amount for the median developing country. Even among developing countries, there are variations with the least developing countries tending to be systematically worse in relative terms,” said Mukherjee.

Additionally, although global rates of poverty have declined significantly, extreme levels persist in Africa. Climate shocks, armed conflict, and the COVID-19 pandemic have all caused widespread economic issues around the world, with Africa bearing the worst impacts. According to figures from the report, numbers of Africans living below the poverty line have trended upward in recent years.

Furthermore, in the world’s most conflict-affected states, such as the Gaza Strip, economies have seen considerable declines, with widespread poverty, unemployment, food insecurity, and limited access to basic services becoming increasingly regular. According to the UN Development Programme (UNDP), due to extensive warfare and damage to critical infrastructures in Gaza, the local economy has been decimated and approximately 69 years of economic progress have been erased.

To effectively foster global economic growth, it is crucial to tackle the climate crisis. According to the World Economic Forum, it is estimated that greenhouse gas emissions and extreme weather events will cut average global incomes by 20 percent. Additionally, according to the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), if yearly emissions stay the same, countries will need to spend at least 387 billion a year by 2030 to combat climate-related damages.

Global cooperation is also essential in boosting global economic growth, especially for developing nations. To build a more sustainable future with lower carbon emissions, technologies must be set in place that foster the use of renewable energy sources. In the UN DESA report, it is stated that a new commitment was created by a group of developed countries to mobilize a fund of 300 billion dollars annually by 2035 to support the implementation of renewable energy infrastructures.

IPS UN Bureau

 

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Credit: United Nations

By Shibu Thomas
NEW JERSEY, USA , Jan 10 2025 (IPS)

India has surged forward as the world’s fifth-largest economy and has now surpassed China to claim the title of the most populous nation. However, this rapid ascent is not without its challenges; rising unemployment and inflation loom large, threatening demographic dividend and its ambitious goal of sustaining a 7 to 8% GDP growth.

Projections indicate a staggering population of 1.7 billion by 2050, intensifying issues like employment elasticity, soaring poverty rates, urban congestion, environmental pollution, and the depletion of natural resources. These escalating challenges risk irreversible ecological damage, threaten the delicate balance of species and habitats and post serious ramifications for public health and sustainability.

Confronting sustainable development in this context, especially amidst the aspirations of a vibrant youth bulge, is an urgent and formidable task. A powerful and cost-effective solution lies in consciously reducing our human footprint. We must urgently integrate population planning into climate change initiatives and sustainable development goals to forge long-term policies that protect our planet.

This calls for incorporating population discussions into broader environmental strategies, empowering women through education and access to reproductive health services, and launching targeted initiatives in high-fertility districts by building collaborative networks among governments, NGOs, and local communities.

The demographic landscape of India is currently at a critical juncture, presenting significant challenges in managing its rapidly growing population. Over the past 50 years, India’s population has nearly tripled, raising serious concerns about the future. With 18% of the world’s population concentrated on just 2.4% of the land area, accommodating further growth is an urgent and unmistakable challenge.

This issue has sparked contrasting viewpoints within the country, with some unequivocally regarding the expanding working-age population as a demographic dividend, while others firmly perceive it as a potential crisis that demands immediate attention.

The current demographic trends in India paint a picture of urgency, demanding immediate action to address job creation. The unemployment rate is 8.5%, and 14.9% (MPI) are impoverished. There is a significant wealth disparity, with the top 10% holding more than 60% of total wealth, while the bottom 50% has experienced a decline in wealth.

The education system is under strain, with over 1.2 million children out of school in 2022-23, struggling to accommodate the expanding population. Urbanization is further burdening infrastructure and essential services. Public healthcare expenditure remains low at 2.1% of the GDP, highlighting the need for universal health coverage. The growing population places immense pressure on arable land, exacerbating land degradation and impacting the resource base.

Furthermore, the expanding population and increased affluence have led to a rapid surge in energy production and consumption, contributing to air pollution and global warming. These environmental challenges are significantly impacting public health and hindering sustainable development.

Despite advancements in agricultural productivity with the Green Revolution, a significant proportion of the population still grapples with inadequate access to proper nutrition, highlighting the urgent need to address food sustainability. The increasing population will continue to strain damaged ecosystems, reducing their resilience and elevating the risk of epidemics, soil desertification, and biodiversity loss.

India’s current demographic landscape is marked by a burgeoning working-age population 500 million, offering significant development potential in contrast to China’s diminishing population. However, India’s population growth may present challenges due to its relatively smaller land area and lower GDP than China.

While China’s one-child policy facilitated rapid economic growth, there are varying perspectives on India’s fertility rate, which has reportedly dropped below the replacement level of 2.1. Some advocate for population policies, while others question the necessity of such measures, citing historical resistance to India’s coercive population policies in the 1980s.

Despite a 7.2% growth rate in 2022-23, resulting in six million jobs, the working population increased by 10 million, leading to “jobless growth.” Although the fertility rate is declining, scientific models project that India’s population may not necessarily decrease due to “population momentum.”

Historical efforts in the 1970s and 80s aimed at promoting family planning through diverse media and public outreach initially showed promise. However, the efficacy of these initiatives has waned over time, leaving the challenge of unchecked population growth as a critical issue that remains to be effectively addressed.

The reluctance to address this matter is deeply rooted in political, religious, and cultural concerns. Rapid economic growth and advancements in science and technology have intensified human activity, making it challenging to control. Regulating human population growth is crucial for sustainable development, and historical evidence from the 1960s indicates that uncontrolled population growth leads to resource scarcity.

Failure to manage human populations may undermine afforestation and infrastructure development efforts. Additionally, unchecked unemployment, particularly among well-educated young men facing limited opportunities, has been linked to increased political violence.

India has established an ambitious objective to attain net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2070, notwithstanding projections indicating a population surge of 2 billion. A 2024 UNDP survey reveals that 77% of Indian citizens advocate for more robust governmental climate action.

The I=PAT framework emphasizes that environmental impact (I) is influenced by population size (P), level of affluence (A), and technology (T). India’s middle class currently accounts for 31% of the population and is expected to grow to 38% by 2031 and 60% by 2047, increasing per capita consumption. It is important to note that the only variable that can be directly managed is human footprints (P).

Given the complex nature of the issue and the underlying social frameworks, concentrating solely on persuading individuals to adopt less environmentally detrimental behaviors is ineffective and potentially counterproductive. It is imperative to destigmatize and integrate population growth discussions into environmental dialogues.

Government, communities, and individuals advocating proactive measures should collectively shoulder this responsibility. Our focus should pivot towards modifying systems and structures to incentivize communities to voluntarily refrain from procreation for a year, thereby driving significant behavioral shifts on a large scale.

The government should prioritize high-fertility districts in overpopulated states, particularly in northern India, and urgently improve access to contraceptives and family planning services in these areas.

The state of Kerala exemplifies that birth rates are lower where women have access to education, healthcare, and the ability to control the number of children. Better-educated women tend to have fewer children, which also signals increased gender equality. Empowering women and their active participation in decision-making can significantly reduce population growth, offering hope for a more sustainable future.

In conclusion, the interplay between India’s population growth, environmental sustainability, and public health presents a complex challenge that requires immediate and strategic action. To address this issue effectively:

1). Integrate population discussions: Establish forums and partnerships that unite policymakers, environmentalists, and community leaders to incorporate population growth into broader environmental strategies.

2). Empower women: Invest in educational programs and enhance access to reproductive health services, particularly in high fertility districts, to enable women to make informed choices about their families.

3). Implement targeted initiatives: Develop and support government initiatives focused on reducing birth rates in overpopulated areas while promoting sustainable practices at the community level.

4). Foster collaboration: Encourage partnerships among governments, NGOs, and local communities to promote conscientious living and embrace eco-friendly practices.

The time is now to act with purpose. Collective decisions made today will determine the quality of life for generations to come. By adopting these recommendations, the nation can forge a legacy that ensures not just prosperity but also the well-being of every citizen.

Dr. Shibu Thomas; M.D.S, M.S. is an Independent Global Health and International Security Analyst based in New Jersey, U.S.A; an Alumnus of the School of Diplomacy and International Relations at Seton Hall University and Former Assistant Professor at Ajman University, U.A.E.

IPS UN Bureau

 

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The strike took place on one of Benin's most well-equipped military positions in the north, authorities say.

The strike took place on one of Benin's most well-equipped military positions in the north, authorities say.

Two of Venâncio Mondlane's supporters are injured as police disperse crowds that had come to greet him.

Burkina Faso's Capt Ibrahim Traore had a holstered pistol in what some saw a security breach.

Venâncio Mondlane is greeted by supporters as police try to prevent people reaching the airport.

Credit: Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD)

By Ben Phillips
BANGKOK, Thailand, Jan 9 2025 (IPS)

The debt disaster is back. Indeed, the aid agency Cafod reports that developing countries today face “the most acute debt crisis in history”.

At least 54 countries are in a debt crisis – more than double the number in 2010. A further 57 countries are at risk of debt crisis. In the past decade, interest payments for developing countries overall have risen by 64%, and for Africa by 132%.

African countries are paying over 100 billion dollars a year to creditors. The share of African countries’ budgets going on debt payments is four times higher than in 2010.

Net finance flows to developing countries are now negative – that is, debt service repayments are now higher than inflows to governments.

“It’s time to face the reality,” says World Bank Chief Economist Indermit Gill. “The poorest countries facing debt distress need debt relief if they are to have a shot at lasting prosperity. Private creditors ought to bear a fair share of the cost when the bet goes bad.”

“Debt is choking the countries of the Global South,” says the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town Thabo Makgoba, “denying us what we need for health and education. Please, let us breathe!”

The scale of the crisis has not shocked world leaders into action, however. So far, the G20 debt restructuring mechanisms have come nowhere close to what is needed.

The recurrence of the debt crisis is even cynically held up as a reason not to resolve it. “They got debt forgiven in 2000,” goes the mantra, “now they are back, which means it failed and there is no helping them.”

It’s a false narrative that deliberately ignores two key points: first, that the debt cancellation secured by the broad Jubilee 2000 movement saved and transformed millions of lives, including affected countries switching from most children not completing primary school to most children completing; secondly, that the reforms needed to prevent a recurrence of catastrophic debt payment levels have been held up by creditors.

But being untrue hasn’t taken away the power of the “debt cancellation failed” story for excusing and enabling inaction.

Debt restructuring has continued to be a painfully slow, ad hoc process, dominated by rich countries and dependent on persuading creditors. That’s not a bug, it’s feature. It’s not surprising that private lenders, who today make up the largest share of creditors of affected countries’ debt, have obstructed efforts to resolve the crisis: without sufficient compulsion that is what they will continue to do.

It seems almost unnecessary to add that we have now entered an era where anything requiring multilateral cooperation has gotten even harder. And yet, 2025 also brings two powerful reasons for hope.

First, the moment.

As the first ever African chair of the G20, South Africa has seized the opportunity to lead an intergovernmental push for action on debt, successfully bringing it to the core of global economic diplomacy. The South African G20 presidency has set out a bold agenda that prioritises tackling what they name in frank terms as the “crippling sovereign debt levels that force many countries to sacrifice their developmental obligations to service unmanageable debts”.

South Africa has set out what would be transformative frame for G20 delivery: “We must take action to ensure debt sustainability for low-income countries. A key obstacle to inclusive growth in developing economies is an unsustainable level of debt which limits their ability to invest in infrastructure, healthcare, education and other development needs”.

“South Africa will seek to advance sustainable solutions to tackle high structural deficits and liquidity challenges and extend debt relief to developing economies. South Africa will also seek to ensure that the sovereign credit ratings are fair and transparent and to address high risk premiums for developing economies. Key to addressing the debt question is dealing with the Cost of Capital.”

Second, the movement.

Intergovernmental diplomacy alone, however well played, can never break through the power imbalances of global finance. The resolution of the debt crisis needs a determined and organized mass movement of people. This movement is rising.

Amongst those who are coming together in the broad Jubilee 2025 movement are civil society organisations from climate justice marchers to human rights activists, trade unions from every sector and every part of the world, and artists raising their voices to demand the breaking of the chokehold of debt.

At the heart of the Jubilee 2025 movement are the faith communities, who were also at the heart of Jubilee 2000. As the Jubilee name signifies, debt cancellation is not a mere technical economic issue, it is a moral one, with deep roots in biblical traditions and in ethical understandings of the common good.

“We urgently need a new debt Jubilee,” leaders of diverse faiths from across Africa declared in their joint call to action, “to bring hope to humankind, and bring the planet back from the brink.” Faith communities combine deep local organising and wide global networking, mobilise in the Global South and Global North amongst the most excluded and amongst the better off, and have proven to be especially hard for decision-makers to ignore.

A moment of hope, powered by a movement of hope. Debt distress need not be destiny. This is not a prediction that the campaign on debt will succeed, but rather an assessment that it has a fighting chance. “More than a question of generosity,” Pope Francis declared in his Papal Bull for 2025, debt cancellation is “a matter of justice.”

Notably, he titled the document Spes non confundit – “Hope does not disappoint.”

Ben Phillips is the author of How to Fight Inequality.

IPS UN Bureau

 

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Protests erupted over the hazardous waste disposal from the Bhopal gas tragedy. Credit: Sameer Khan/IPS

By Shuriah Niazi
PITHAMPUR, India, Jan 9 2025 (IPS)

An eerie calm prevails over Pithampur, a town 250 km (155 miles) away from Bhopal, the capital of the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. This town witnessed widespread protests for three days last week following the transportation of large quantities of toxic waste from the site of one of the world’s worst industrial disasters in Bhopal.

On Wednesday, December 1, about 337 metric tonnes of toxic waste were transported to Pithampur in 12 containers amid tight security from Bhopal. This hazardous waste originated from the now-defunct Union Carbide Factory in Bhopal, where it had been stored for the past 40 years. The site is infamous for the tragic gas leak that occurred on the night of December 2-3, 1984, which resulted in the instant deaths of 3,500 people and thousands of others over the years.

The toxic waste from Bhopal was intended to be incinerated at Ramky Enviro Industries; however, protests escalated last week and two people even attempted self-immolation. Both are currently hospitalized. In response, the government halted the incineration process.

On Monday, the Madhya Pradesh High Court gave a six-month deadline to the government to dispose of the waste. The government told the court that it would first work to gain the trust of the residents of Pithampur and the surrounding areas before proceeding with the incineration.

In 2015, the Supreme Court had ordered a trial for the disposal of 10 metric tonnes of waste. Following this, incineration was carried out at Ramky Enviro Engineers. However, residents in the vicinity have reported concerns about negative impacts on their health and the local environment.

Crop Yield Declines

A resident from Silotiya village, situated near the factory, complained about the impact on farming.

“Earlier, this area used to produce excellent crops, but after the trial was conducted here 10 years ago and the waste was spread, our farming has suffered greatly,” Nageshwar Chaudhary told IPS. “The water in the entire region has become contaminated, and people are experiencing poor crop yields. This is why the community protested when the decision to incinerate the waste was made and the toxic waste reached here to be burnt.”

Chaudhary further said that the administration had assured locals before the trial runs in 2015 that there would be no adverse effects.

“But now the lands have become so infertile that even if we wish to sell them, no one is ready to buy,” Chaudhary claimed.

Atma Raghuvanshi from Bagdari, another village close to the Ramky Enviro Industries, said that the factory’s waste has led to the contamination of water and it is a major problem.

“People are selling their land and moving away. We’re not receiving fair prices for our land due to the pollution. The pollution has worsened because of the poisonous waste,” said Raghuvanshi.

Officials Attempt to Allay People’s Apprehension

On the other hand, the officials maintain that the incineration of toxic waste will not cause any harm.

“The disposal of this waste will not harm anyone. In 2015, we conducted a trial run where 10 tonnes of waste were incinerated, and the results were positive. Therefore, it would be wrong to claim that it will cause harm,” Swatantra Kumar Singh, Director of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation Department, said.

Singh also emphasized that the waste will continue to be disposed of in an environmentally safe manner.

The administration has said that special precautions were taken during the transportation of toxic waste from Bhopal and the contaminated soil from the storage area has also been brought to Pithampur.

Over 50 workers equipped with personal protective equipment (PPE) were assigned to load the waste into the containers, with teams rotating every 30 minutes.

Based on a trial run conducted in 2015, it was determined that 90 kg of waste can be incinerated per hour. At that rate, the incineration of 337 tonnes of waste could take more than five months.

“The waste from Union Carbide was transported to Pithampur following the highest safety protocols in the movement and transport of industrial waste in the country,” Singh remarked.

Various Organizations ‘Involved’ in Disposal Process

Regarding the removal of toxic waste, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav informed reporters that various Government of India organizations are involved in the disposal process.

“For the past 40 years, the people of Bhopal have been living with this waste. The transportation of this toxic waste has not impacted the environment in any way. The entire process was carried out safely. We also aim to ensure that this issue remains free from political controversy,” added Yadav.

The Supreme Court had mandated the removal of toxic waste in 2014, and recently, in December last year, the Madhya Pradesh High Court directed the state government to complete the removal within four weeks. Now it has issued a six-month deadline to dispose of the waste.

In August 2004, Alok Pratap Singh, a Bhopal resident, filed a petition in the Madhya Pradesh High Court requesting the removal of toxic waste from the Union Carbide premises. He also sought compensation for the environmental damage caused. Alok Pratap Singh has since passed away.

Only a Symbolic Gesture: Activist

Rachna Dhingra, from the International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal, has expressed concerns that the waste transported to Pithampur represents only a small fraction of the total 1.1 million metric tonnes of toxic waste.

Dhingra slammed the government’s action as a mere “symbolic gesture” rather than a meaningful step toward addressing the larger issue.

In 2010, under the directive of the High Court, the Madhya Pradesh government commissioned the National Environmental Engineering Institute (NEERI) from Nagpur and the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) from Hyderabad to study the issue of toxic waste and its associated pollution.

The NEERI report revealed the presence of hazardous chemicals such as aldicarb, carbaryl, A-naphthol, dichlorobenzene, and mercury in the soil of the affected area. It also indicated that approximately 1.1 million metric tonnes of contaminated soil remained, which has adversely affected the health of people living around the closed Union Carbide factory in Bhopal and damaged the environment over the years.

“The quantity of waste that the government has moved from Bhopal to Pithampur constitutes less than one percent of the total hazardous waste,” Dhingra said.

According to her, the NEERI report said there are numerous dumping and landfill sites surrounding the Union Carbide factory where waste was irresponsibly disposed of.

Dhingra emphasized that hazardous substances from these chemical waste ponds have infiltrated the ground, contaminating local water sources and soil. She urged the government to address this ongoing issue, warning that neglecting it will perpetuate suffering among the community.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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Excerpt:

The local community of Pithampur, India, says the incineration of Bhopal gas tragedy waste is unsafe for their health and environment.

According to an unconfirmed report, 19 people were killed in an incident near the presidential palace.

Credit: Fundación Plan/Instagram

By Inés M. Pousadela
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, Jan 8 2025 (IPS)

Colombia has just marked a historic milestone in the global campaign against child marriage, with the Senate passing one of Latin America and the Caribbean’s most comprehensive bans on child marriage and early unions. In a country where one in five girls under 18 and one in 10 under 14 are married or live in marriage-like conditions, the new law raises the minimum age to 18 with no exceptions, eliminating a 137-year-old Civil Code provision that allowed children over 14 to marry with parental consent. This achievement aligns with goal 5 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which has a target of eliminating harmful practices like child marriage by 2030. The new law now awaits the signature of President Gustavo Petro to come into effect.

The breakthrough

Child marriage disproportionately affects Colombia’s most vulnerable communities, with rates of between 40 and 65 per cent among rural, Indigenous and Afro-Colombian populations. In some communities, girls as young as 10 are married off. These early unions expose girls to unequal power relations, deny them education, limit their bodily and economic autonomy and lead to higher rates of gender-based violence and health issues linked to early pregnancy.

The passage of the #SonNiñasNoEsposas (‘They are girls, not wives’) bill reflected the power of persistent civil society advocacy. After several failed attempts since 2007, the bill, authored by two congresswomen, passed with unanimous support. This success was driven by a coalition of Colombian civil society organisations as part of the Girls Not Brides global network, including the Foundation for Gender and Family Development, Fundación Plan and Profamilia, working alongside international partners such as Equality Now and Plan International, with Girls Not Brides directly supporting legislative advocacy and media campaigns.

Beyond raising the marriage age, the new law establishes the National Comprehensive Programme for Life Projects for Children and Adolescents. This preventive initiative targets the structural causes of early unions – poverty and lack of education – particularly in remote rural areas. The programme includes the participation of Indigenous communities through their own governance structures, recognising the importance of cultural sensitivity in implementation.

The global landscape

Colombia is by no means alone in having a child marriage problem. Around the world, some 12 million girls are married each year, two million before the age of 15. While child marriage can affect boys as well, girls are six times more likely to be married as children than boys.

According to the Child Marriage Monitoring Mechanism, a collaborative initiative to generate evidence to support efforts to end child marriage, one in five young women worldwide are married before their 18th birthday, with rates highest in sub-Saharan Africa.

To tackle this problem, The Elders, a group of senior public figures, launched the global Girls Not Brides partnership in 2011. With over 1,400 member organisations in more than 100 countries, Girls Not Brides works to prevent under-age marriage, recognising it as both a human rights violation and an obstacle to development. It identifies four main drivers of child marriage: poverty, limited educational and economic opportunities, gender inequality and insecurity in conflict or disaster situations. It tackles the problem with awareness-raising campaigns, national and international policy advocacy and community engagement to challenge social norms that perpetuate child marriage.

Since then, efforts have multiplied. In 2016, the United Nations Population Fund and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) launched the Global Programme to End Child Marriage. Now in its third phase, set to run until 2030, the programme operates in 12 high-prevalence countries in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. Working directly with governments, it has reached millions of adolescent girls, focusing on education, healthcare and economic opportunities.

Regional-level initiatives include the South Asian Initiative to End Violence Against Children, which works in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and the African Union’s Campaign to End Child Marriage in Africa, launched in 2014 in 10 high-prevalence countries and later expanded to 30.

Many more initiatives work at national and local levels. They combine multiple responses, including working with religious and community leaders to change social norms, supporting girls’ education and economic empowerment, engaging with men and boys on gender equality, advocating for stronger laws and their enforcement, providing support services to girls at risk of child marriage, using media and technology to raise awareness and change attitudes and building networks of young advocates and change-makers.

Progress and challenges

These efforts have contributed to a global decline in child marriage rates. According to UNICEF, the proportion of young women married as children has decreased from 25 per cent to 21 per cent over the past decade, meaning that 25 million child marriages have been prevented. However, the global number of child brides is still estimated at 650 million, including girls under 18 who have already married and adult women who married as children.

The average annual rate of reduction has been 0.7 per cent over the past 25 years and 1.9 per cent over the past decade, showing the impact of recent initiatives. But at this rate, the SDG target of eliminating the practice by 2030 won’t be achieved.

Setbacks have been caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, conflict and economic instability. Wherever insecurity rises, so does child marriage, as parents see early marriage of daughters as a financial and security solution. During Syria’s conflict, for example, the rate of child marriages shot up among refugees in countries such as Jordan and Lebanon.

Looking ahead

Colombia’s new law marks significant progress, but it’s just the beginning, as evidenced by the fact that many of the early marriages that take place in Colombia would have been illegal under the old law.

The real work of implementation begins now. Colombia’s efforts over the next few years will be crucial in demonstrating how legislative change can translate into real protection for vulnerable girls. For Latin America and the Caribbean, it should open up opportunities for strengthened cross-border cooperation and similar legislative reforms.

Colombia’s comprehensive approach could serve as a model for change in a region where many countries still have legal exceptions that allow child marriage under some circumstances, while others have strong laws that aren’t adequately implemented.

While the declining trend in global child marriage rates offers hope, the current pace of change remains far too slow. Colombia’s example shows that significant progress is possible through sustained, multi-stakeholder commitment and comprehensive approaches that change laws but also address underlying social dynamics. The international community must build on this momentum. This means scaling up successful initiatives, increasing funding for civil society organisations and maintaining political pressure.

Inés M. Pousadela is CIVICUS Senior Research Specialist, co-director and writer for CIVICUS Lens and co-author of the State of Civil Society Report.

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The paramilitary group is accused of the "systematic" murder of men and boys and brutal sexual violence.

Nigeria appoint former Mali boss Eric Chelle as the new coach of the Super Eagles, tasking the 47-year-old with earning qualification for the 2026 World Cup.

Nigeria appoint former Mali boss Eric Chelle as the new coach of the Super Eagles, tasking the 47-year-old with earning qualification for the 2026 World Cup.

Former Premier League striker Emmanuel Adebayor says the gun attack on the Togo team 15 years ago has made "a huge difference" in his life.