Opening of the #childmothers exhibition followed by a High-Level Debate on Early Adolescent Pregnancy

Excellencies,
Dear Colleagues,
Ladies and gentlemen:

It is a great pleasure, but also a challenge for me to open this powerful exhibition on child mothers. A pleasure, because this exhibition is very well done, showing once again that every award that Pieter ten Hoopen has already won was very well deserved. A challenge, because putting myself into the position of a child mother does not come easy to me, and I believe many of the decision-makers that walk down the halls of the Palais des Nations are in a similar position. This issue is simply not on our radar often enough. This is why this exhibition is so important. It gives child mothers a voice. Through the impressive images, we are drawn into their lives. We can see the challenges they face, the problems they have to overcome, and hopefully, what we can do to help them on their difficult journey.

The kind support for this exhibition by the Governments of Bangladesh, Colombia, Denmark, Haiti, Sweden and Zambia as well as the fact that the exhibition itself tells the stories of child mothers from six different countries show that this is a global issue. And the collaboration between UNFPA and Plan International as well as OHCHR, UNICEF and WHO in bringing the exhibition to the Palais des Nations highlights that child mothers have needs that cut across traditional issue areas.

As the international community works on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, this exhibition sends a clear message that child mothers must not be left behind. Young mothers are more likely to have health complications during birth, to drop out of school, and to be stigmatized in their own families and societies. It is a particular challenge for pregnant young girls to achieve targets on health, education, gender equality and others.

The exhibition also makes us think about the role of the fathers, who often do not take up their responsibilities, as well as the role of parents and families of the minor girls. It opens discussions on a whole range of issues, from child-marriage to legal claims for child support, sexual education and others, many of which may come up in the panel discussion later. But it is clear that the issue of child mothers concerns not only child mothers. It concerns societies at large, and requires a holistic approach.

The Sustainable Development Goals push us to think about connections, and to develop integrated solutions as well as strategies for prevention that put human rights at the centre. International Geneva, as the operational hub of the international system, is the place to make this holistic approach reality. This exhibition takes place in parallel to the Human Rights Council and other important conferences here at the Palais des Nations. To advocate and raise awareness that child mothers must not be left behind, each picture in this exhibition makes us aware that decisions about child mothers must not be made without giving child mothers themselves a voice!

I am very grateful to UNFPA, Plan International and everyone else who brought these stories to the Palais des Nations, and congratulate Pieter ten Hoopen and his collaborators on this excellent exhibition.

Thank you very much.