Minimum age for marriage should be 18 in South Asia

Parliamentarians who took part in the two-day summit on child rights in South Asia have principally agreed that the age of marriage for an individual should be a minimum of 18 years in the South Asian region and that the general law of the country should be supreme.

The Colombo Declaration issued after the two-day summit also said that South Asia parliamentarians pledge that their commitment to ensuring that every child in respective countries had every right fulfilled.

‘We will do so through the powers vested in us, as representatives of the people, including children, to create real and lasting change, allocate resources, establish policy directions, and debate, shape, and enforce laws that protect children the Colombo Declaration said. South Asian parliamentarians further pledged to influence policies, programmes and budgets in favour of the most marginalised and excluded children, to ensure that no child is left behind.

The declaration was signed by leaders of South Asian parliamentarian contingent including India, Pakistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Afghanistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka in the presence of Speaker Karu Jayasuriya.

The declaration further said "We pledge, in particular, to influence policies, programmes and budgets in favour of the most marginalised and excluded children, to ensure that no child is left behind. It was principally agreed that as a region the age of marriage for an individual should be a minimum of 18 years and that the general law of the country is supreme."