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1998 - 50 years after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948-1998), male infants are still excluded from its protection
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights set out to provide, for the first time in history, recognition of the common needs and aspirations of all human kind, it recognised and articulated universal concepts such as personal liberty, equally in law and personal safety.

Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights reads "Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person."

Female Genital Mutilation was justifiably outlawed in this country in 1985. It was recognised that this procedure violated the personal security of female children. Girls were subjected to invasive surgery for spurious reasons. Personal liberty was invaded without medical justification.

NORM-UK believes this law be discriminatory since it excludes male infants who at present have no like protection in the law. There can be no distinction in the severity of genital mutilation between males and females.

Article 7 of the same Declaration reads "All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination".

Article 12 "No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks."

The removal of highly ennervated and erogenous genital tissue from male infants, on no other grounds than parental whim, constitutes 'arbitrary interference with his privacy.' While NORM-UK recognises that most circumcisions in this country are not routine, but result from the medical profession not being aware of recent developments in viable alternatives, male infants will remain at risk while no legislation is in place to protect them. Medical qualifications are not required to perform a circumcision on a healthy non-consenting male infant.

Article 5 "No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment."

Many circumcisions are performed without the use of pain relief. It was suggested that children felt less pain than adults. Recent research has shown that due to the lack of natural pain suppressants, infants actually feel more pain than adults. Amputation without anaesthetic is therefore 'torture...cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment...'

Article 6 "Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law."

Male infants do not have the same protection in the eyes of the law as female infants do. The foreskin of the male infant can therefore be removed and disregarded at the discretion of the parent.

Fifty years after the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, male infants are not seen as individual humans, with rights, but as extensions of their parents.

The recent case of Williams V Pryor in the Crown Court illustrated the physical and psychological impact neonatal circumcision can have. While most media attention focused on the damage done to Mr Williams during his uncircumcision operation, what has been largely ignored by the media is the fact that Mr Williams was circumcised at the age of one day, for no medical reason.

As a consequence of this unnecessary surgery, Mr Williams experienced painful erections and his sex life suffered greatly. This was an arbitrary surgery with no clinical need.

Today, Dr John Warren founder of NORM-UK said "The foreskin is not a surplus piece of skin, but a vital part of the male anatomy. Little boys are not born with optional extras. We must respect their rights to grow and develop without invading their privacy in procedures that have more to do with the parents than the child. The rights of the child must outweigh the rights of the parents."

NORM-UK calls for full adherence to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, without differentiation between males and females. All infants and children should be protected from unnecessary surgical modifications of physiologically healthy genitalia and other body parts.

NORM-UK, PO Box 71, Stone, Staffordshire ST15 0SF. Tel/Fax 01785 814 044