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Annex C Relevant Human Rights Provisions
"Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses." (Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 16 (2))
"State parties shall ensure on a basis of equality of men and women… the same right to choose a spouse and to enter into marriage only with their full and free consent." (Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination Against Women - CEDAW, Article 16 (1) (b))
"A woman's right to choose a spouse and enter freely into marriage is central to her life and her dignity and equality as a human being." (General Recommendation No 21, UN Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women)
"Everyone has the right to liberty and security of person." (Article 5 of the Human Rights Act 1998)
"Men and women of marriageable age have the right to marry and to found a family, according to the national laws governing the exercise of this right." (Article 12 of the Human Rights Act 1998)
"No marriage shall be legally entered into without the full and free consent of both parties." ( UN Convention on Consent to Marriage, Minimum Age for Marriage and Registration of Marriages, Article 1).
"The UN recognises forced marriage as a form of contemporary slavery, trafficking and sexual exploitation." ( UN working group on contemporary forms of slavery 28th Session Geneva June 2003)13
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