3 | - Número: 015 | 26 de Janeiro de 2013

Let me start by thanking the hosts, the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Finnish Parliament, for such a timely initiative and for their consistent commitment to promoting women’s rights and gender equality.
Despite what the calendar states, and even the very notice that gattered us here, today is November 25th.
And tomorrow will be November 25th. And year’s end will be November 25th.
Because, just as we say that Christmas is when a man wishes, what prevails on November 25th is the spirit transversal to every day of the year urging us to reject and end the violence befalling women, all over the world, in our country, in our city, in our neighborhood, who knows even within our own homes and families.
Millions and millions of women from all around live in the world and see the main human right denied them: the right to live free from violence. Every effort must be made to protect these women.
And from a special date for all around the year, let e recall another traditional celebration. January is normally a time when people exchange best wishes and make resolutions for the New Year. Coming here this morning, in this beautiful city [covered in snow], I was thinking that 2013 is different from any other year. 2013 is a year of OPPORTUNITIES.
In 2013, UNPRECEDENTED opportunities are offered to us:

to raise AWARENESS on the plight of violence against women, to TAKE EFFECTIVE ACTION to prevent violence against women, protect the victims, prosecute the perpetrators and set up a range of integrated policies to tackle this phenomenon in its complexity.
2013 is going to be a UNIQUE year to UPGRADE THE POLITICAL PROFILE of violence against women, and place it AS HIGH AS POSSIBLE on the political agenda of our governments.

2. Why? This Conference is the first opportunity.

It brings together ministers, parliamentarians, government representatives, non-governmental organisations and experts from countries from a very diversified region. It is exactly these diversified backgrounds, challenges and experiences which will enrich our discussions and the exchange of best practice.
This Conference is the first of a series of high profile events which, around the world, will mark 2013.
[It has already been mentioned that] the main theme of the session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women will be preventing and combating violence against women and girls. The CSW will be a huge platform which will catalyse attention and visibility all over the world, and which will hopefully spark a new dynamism in the fight against gender-based violence.
It is therefore of the utmost importance that the Council of Europe takes part to present the Istanbul Convention and underline the added value of this instrument, which is not only open to Council of Europe member states but potentially to any other country in the world.
In the context of the meeting of the CSW, the Inter-Parliamentary Union will also organise a one-day event, focussing on parliamentary initiatives to combat violence against women. I will do my best to ensure that the Istanbul Convention is given the visibility it deserves in this gathering.

3. The Istanbul Convention But there are MANY MORE events that can punctuate 2013.
These are the numerous, successive signatures and ratifications of the Istanbul Convention which will follow the current ones.
This is the Assembly’s wish for the new year.
This is also our resolution for 2013: that, as members of parliament, we shall do everything which is in our power to promote the Istanbul Convention, to have it signed, to introduce the necessary legal changes in our domestic law, and to ratify it.