International law as an instrument to combat child marriage

The purpose of this article is to examine the international instruments that have an impact on child marriage in order to determine its legality from an international perspective and to assess whether international treaties are an effective means of reducing the practice. The paper argues that international law plays a significant role in the campaign against child marriage because it emphasises the gravity of the issue. It is conceded that international treaties cannot themselves secure a reduction in the number of child marriages that occur and that appropriate programmes must be developed in order to ensure that the law is implemented nationally and locally.