II SÉRIE-D — NÚMERO 7

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o development of a solid and structured partnership with UN Women, FRA and the European

Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE).

51. I believe that, through its Parliamentary Network “Women Free from Violence”, the Assembly should be

closely involved in these activities.

9. Special focus on monitoring the implementation of the Istanbul Convention

52. In view of the approaching entry into force of the Istanbul Convention, it is particularly urgent for the

Assembly to open a reflection on how it will take part in the monitoring process of the implementation of the

convention.

53. The monitoring provisions set out in the convention are particularly innovative, as they foresee the

twofold participation of parliamentarians:

at national level, parliaments are invited to participate in the monitoring of the measures taken for the

implementation of the convention; in addition, the Parties shall submit the reports drawn up by the independent

monitoring body, the Group of experts on action against violence against women and domestic violence

(GREVIO), to their national parliaments;

at international level, the Assembly is invited to take regular stock of the implementation of the

convention.

54. I have already mentioned that the Parliamentary Network “Women Free from Violence” should add to its

work programme activities aimed at enhancing the capacity of national parliamentarians to carry out the

monitoring of the implementation of the Istanbul Convention at national level.

55. As regards the involvement of the Assembly as an institution in the monitoring procedure, I would like to

make the following proposals:

the Assembly should continue to have a General Rapporteur on violence against women, who should

submit a periodic report to the Assembly on the implementation of the Istanbul Convention;

the Assembly should be represented in the GREVIO by the General Rapporteur on violence against

women, as an observer;

the Assembly should be invited to attend all the meetings of the Committee of the Parties.

56. In my opinion, these recommendations are the logic consequence of the innovative provisions laid down

in the Istanbul Convention, which is the first binding instrument in the world to require the direct participation of

parliamentarians in the monitoring mechanism. At the same time, they are the recognition of the role played by

the Assembly in relation to the inception, elaboration, conclusion and promotion of the Istanbul Convention.

57. Finally, I think that the participation of an Assembly representative in the GREVIO could be particularly

useful in the context of the urgent procedure which is set out in Article 68.13 of the Istanbul Convention, which

reads:

“If GREVIO receives reliable information indicating a situation where problems require immediate attention

to prevent or limit the scale or number of serious violations of the Convention, it may request the urgent

submission of a special report concerning measures taken to prevent a serious, massive or persistent pattern

of violence against women.”

58. Given the presence of a General Rapporteur on violence against women in the Assembly as well as the

existence of the Parliamentary Network “Women Free from Violence” and the way in which it works – holding

frequent meetings and maintaining a regular flow of information covering geographically all Council of Europe

member States – the Assembly representative would be well placed to provide prompt and reliable information

to the GREVIO on actions that may require urgent action.