in violent marriages out of fear that their de jure and de facto legal status will be negatively impacted, and also that they will be denied financial support if they are divorced or separated; Recalling that the General Assembly of the United Nations declared, by Resolution 843 (IX) of 17 December 1954 and in 2014, that certain customs, ancient laws and practices relating to marriage and the family were inconsistent with the principles set forth in the Charter of the United Nations and in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; Recognizing that child marriage constitutes a serious threat to multiple aspects of a child’s survival and development and, in particular, that child marriage threatens a child’s physical and psychological health, sexual and reproductive health, significantly increasing the risk of early, frequent and unintended pregnancy, maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity, obstetric fistula, uterine prolapie, haemorraging, sexually transmitted infections, HIV and AIDS and death; Recognizing also that child marriage is itself a barrier to attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and thus contributing to perpetuating the cycle of poverty and that the risk of child marriage is also highly exacerbated in conflict and humanitarian crisis situations; Concerned that children, girls in particular, are often married due to socio-cultural norms, against their will and in some cases are victims of child trafficking, abduction, kidnapping and other forms of violence, resulting in their being subjected to physical, mental, emotional and sexual abuse; Noting with deep concern that the protection of children against child marriage under the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, Page 24 of 78