A/HRC/26/22 for both girls and boys, prohibition of child and forced marriage, sanctions against the perpetrators of child, early and forced marriage and implementation of compulsory registration of all marriages.44 The Syrian Arab Republic, for instance, reported that a ministerial committee, established to study articles in all Syrian laws which discriminate against women and children, had proposed amendments to the legal age and prevention of child, early and forced marriage.45 Sweden also reported that it was in the process of strengthening legal protection against forced marriage and child marriage. The Committees on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and on the Rights of the Child have welcomed instances of such progress in their recent reviews of States parties’ reports, including those of Albania (CEDAW/C/ALB/CO/3), Azerbaijan (CRC/C/AZE/CO/3-4), Benin CRC/C/BEN/CO/2), Egypt (CRC/C/EGY/CO/3-4), France (CRC/C/FRA/CO/4), Guinea-Bissau (CRC/C/GNB/CO/2-4), Kenya (CEDAW/C/KEN/CO/7), Madagascar (CRC/C/15/Add.218) and the Republic of Korea (CEDAW/C/KOR/CO/7).46 26. Various States indicated in their responses that they have regulations on civil and criminal remedies and other administrative regulations for victims of child and forced marriage. For instance, in the United Kingdom Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007 provides a specific civil remedy to prevent forced marriage and to assist victims where a marriage has already taken place through a Forced Marriage Protection Order (FMPO). Such Orders can include forbidding a person to be taken overseas, or ordering that they be returned to the United Kingdom. An application for a protection order can be made by the person at risk or a third party acting on their behalf.47 Other countries are considering reforming their laws to provide specific remedies in cases of child, early and forced marriage.48 27. Many countries have also enacted laws which impose a criminal penalty for forcing someone to marry or for performing marriages of persons below the age of 18. For example, in February 2013, the Australian Parliament adopted the Slavery Act, which recognizes “forced marriage as a serious form of exploitation and a crime, akin to a slavery-like practice”.49 Under this Act, forced marriage offences carry a maximum penalty of four years’ imprisonment, or seven years’ imprisonment for an aggravated offence. An offence may be aggravated in several circumstances, including where the victim is under the age of 18. The offence of forced marriage applies to any person with a role in bringing about the forced marriage, including families, friends, wedding planners or marriage celebrants. Azerbaijan has also amended its criminal code to include forced marriage as a criminal offence. In the United Kingdom, a parliamentary process is under way to introduce a specific criminal offence of forcing someone to marry.50 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 10 Several countries have seen a rise in the number of birth registrations following the enactment of legislation. For more on civil registration (including birth registration) and vital statistics, see Plan International submission. Submission from the Syrian Arab Republic. Recommendations can be found at www.ohchr.org either in the treaty bodies database or on the Committees’ own websites. Submission from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The protection orders have proved useful in cases where the child is in imminent danger of being removed from the jurisdiction for the purpose of marriage. An emergency protection order normally lasts eight days with a possible extension of seven days, which buys the authorities time to apply for more long-term protection, e.g., a care order. See also submission from Ruth Gaffney-Rhys, University of South Wales. Submissions from Switzerland and the Netherlands. Submission from Australia, p. 3. Submission from the United Kingdom.