II SÉRIE-D — NÚMERO 6

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The Convention

The Istanbul Convention can be considered as a milestone in the fight on violence against women and

domestic violence. It is the result of years of collective efforts. We – civil society and national parliamentarians -

have been working on prevention.

We have spared no effort to raise awareness. After a long negotiation process, we achieved our first goal,

the opening for signature of a Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic

violence.

This was a further important step in the direction that we had been heading: better prevention, increased

awareness and a higher level of protection throughout Europe.

There are several reasons why this Convention is a ground-breaking instrument:

It recognizes violence against women as a violation of Human Rights and a form of discrimination;

It is the first international treaty to contain a definition of gender, which refers to “the socially constructed

roles, behaviors, activities and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for women and men”;

It establishes a strong, independent mechanism to monitor its implementation at national level. This

mechanism will allow for parliamentary involvement, as the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

will be invited to regularly take stock of the Convention.

It made clear that combating violence against women is also a Estate responsibility.

It defines criminal offences which are not yet included in all national legislative frameworks such as

female genital mutilation, forced marriage, stalking, psychological violence, sexual harassment, sexual violence

including marital rape, forced abortion and forced sterilization. It also covers a range of initiatives, from training

of professionals and collection of data to sufficient supply of shelters and national helplines;

It calls for the involvement of all relevant state agencies and services so that violence against women

and domestic violence are tackled in a coordinated way. This means that agencies and NGOs should not act

alone but establish protocols for cooperation.

The Convention aims to ensure that the needs and safety of victims are placed at the heart of all its

measures. It is a landmark instrument establishing high standards in the field of prevention, protection and

assistance for its victims, prosecution of the perpetrators and requiring coordinated policies.

As I said, it is a ground-breaking instrument.

BUT, we need the Convention to enter into force!

To date, the Convention has been signed by 32 countries. 6 of these have ratified, including Albania, Bosnia

and Herzegovina and Montenegro. Two parliaments have completed the ratification process, including that of

Serbia last week, which means that soon we will reach 8 ratifications.

Only two more are needed. We are really close to the next stage.

I know many people says laws and conventions are merely papers, and what it matters is to act on the field.

Yes, I agree, but still consider this “paper phase” essential for the whole process. If not, how could we force the

government to fulfill their obligations, without a binding international instrument?

The Network, a case of success

We have set up a specific tool to help us achieve this task: the Parliamentary Network “Women free from

Violence”. This Network is composed of 51 parliamentarians, belonging to delegations of member and observer

States within the Parliamentary Assembly, as well as the delegations of “Partners for democracy” (the

Moroccan parliament and the Palestinian National Council).

It has been active since 2006, when it contributed to the Council of Europe campaign Stop domestic

violence against women.

The Network has played an indefatigable role in trying to raise legal and policy standards in the area of the

prevention of violence against women, the protection of its victims and the effective prosecution of the

perpetrators. Since 2011, its main objective has been the promotion of the Istanbul Convention.