Last week, British diplomats sped to a village near Mirpur in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. The Foreign Office in the The team from the British High Commission in But there are others we don##t get to hear about, whom we can##t help. Every year hundreds of young British men and women undergo this sort of abuse, without ever coming to the attention of the authorities. Some will find it hard to believe forced marriage can still take place. What makes a family choose to ignore the wishes of their child, or to value tradition or their own social standing above its happiness, welfare, safety and human rights? It happens in a number of cultures and communities. But whatever the reason and whatever the community, “cultural sensitivity” must never be used as an excuse for moral blindness. The Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007 is brought into force in the UK. This is an important step forward. It gives the courts a new weapon, in the form of Forced Marriage Protection Orders, to protect the vulnerable. These will ensure potential victims are not forced to marry, and those already married are not forced to carry on with the relationship. If the orders are breached the person responsible may be arrested. They will be in contempt of court, and may be imprisoned. The Government has also introduced guidance for public service workers to make clear the help they must give to victims. We##ve moved a long way from the early days when young people were turned away by hospitals or police stations unfamiliar with the problem, and even sent back to the very families from whom they sought protection. But there is still much more to do. The new law is only part of our wider effort to tackle forced marriage. This includes a national awareness-raising campaign; a programme of continuous training for front-line staff; the commissioning of further academic research and a renewed effort at community outreach through partnerships with schools, police forces, local authorities, community leaders and – the real champions of this work – the charities and NGOs that have been struggling for years to help victims. We are not trying to tell families how to raise their children. And we are certainly not confusing forced marriage with arranged marriage, the rich tradition in some communities of families match-making with the individuals involved still having the ultimate say. What we are doing is taking a clear stand against a practice that sees hundreds, maybe thousands, of young women and men in the However, action by governments can get us only so far. For this abuse to stop, we need communities to speak out clearly as well – to say that it will no longer be tolerated. Across the UK families that would never consider subjecting their children to a forced marriage are turning a blind eye to others that are. And although it##s difficult to fly in the face of a culture of acceptance, that acceptance is being increasingly challenged. The Forced Marriage Unit is receiving more and more calls that are helping to save lives and protect fundamental human rights. And while diplomats mounting rescue missions is a part of the answer, it is only a part. The practice of forced marriage is a stain on those who carry it out, those who condone it and also those who ignore it. Stopping it is an aim around which everyone can and must unite. Next month sees the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which changed the nature of governments## responsibilities to their people. But human rights cannot exist solely as an abstract legal concept. They need to be cherished in people##s hearts and we must all be prepared to act to defend them. ______________________________________________________ David Miliband is the Foreign Secretary. The Sunday Telegraph