A/HRC/29/20 making it punishable even if it is committed outside the country. Denmark, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland have criminalized practicing or assisting or abetting the practice of female genital mutilation, both inside and outside the countries. In 2011, Kenya added an extraterritoriality clause in its law, making performing female genital mutilation outside its border a criminal offence for Kenyans. In 2012, Ireland adopted the Criminal Justice (Female Genital Mutilation) Act, which prohibits the practice of or attempts to practice female genital mutilation. 15. In addition to enforcing legislation and policies on female genital mutilation, some countries have also established mechanisms to monitor progress in elimination efforts and have allocated resources for implementation, including equipping relevant officials with the requisite personnel, financial, technical and other resources. For instance, Kenya’s law prohibiting the practice mandates the establishment of an anti-female genital mutilation board, which has both an operational and advisory role, including for securing adequate resources for combatting female genital mutilations. 16. Enforcement of national legislation should include special considerations for victim and witness confidentiality and the provision of services, including protection for parents and girls who reject the practice. As the perpetrators of female genital mutilation tend to be family members, victims are often unwilling to support prosecution, and in some instances may refuse to provide police investigations with a statement. Family pressure to accept the practice can be immense; there are documented cases of threats to parents who have refused that their daughters undergo the practice and also of girls who claimed to have mutilated themselves in order to protect their parents. A number of countries have addressed witness and victim protection needs in their legislation on the practice. For instance, United Kingdom legislation grants automatic anonymity to victims of the practice who report the incident to the police. B. Comprehensive action plans 17. In addition to legislation, the elimination of female genital mutilation requires complex multisectoral strategies involving all sectors of government and the wider public, including the media, civil society groups, community leaders, medical professionals and teachers. It also requires addressing and engaging with beliefs and social attitudes and norms within the communities where it is practised. 18. The following States have implemented comprehensive and coordinated action plans against female genital mutilation: • Burkina Faso’s action plan establishes an intersectoral group comprising 13 ministries, as well as women’s groups, religious and community leaders, law enforcement officials and the judiciary, to oversee the implementation of its law on the practice • In 2013, the Ethiopian Ministry of Women, Children and Youth Affairs launched a two-year national strategy on harmful traditional practices that involves the health and social care sectors; in addition, the Government, with the assistance of United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations, has designed child protection networks • Senegal’s national action plan for the period 2010–2015 involves the creation of regional committees, departmental and rural communities for the abandonment of female genital mutilation; as a result of this multi-dimensional approach, thousands of villages in Senegal have reportedly publicly abandoned the practice and other harmful practices 7