II SÉRIE-D — NÚMERO 34

4

ANEXO

Speech by Mr. Mendes Bota, on the presentation of the guidelines for drafting a report on

“Promoting best practices in tackling violence against women”

Committee on Equality and Nom Discrimination

Paris, 8th

September 2014

Dear colleagues,

I decided to table the motion which is at the origin of this report because the entry into force of the Istanbul

Convention is bound to open a new stage in our work.

When the Istanbul Convention was opened for signature in May 2011, our primary objective as

parliamentarians committed to ending violence against women was to promote the signature and ratification of

the Convention by the largest possible number of States.

To this end, the Parliamentary Network Women Free from Violence commissioned a Handbook to explain in

simple terms the added value of the Istanbul Convention and its main provisions.

The Handbook has been an extremely valuable tool, not only to enhance the knowledge of parliamentarians

but also as a visibility instrument addressed to NGOs and the general public. It is a confirmation of its success

that it has been translated into 16 languages – thanks to voluntary contributions – and that it has been widely

used during seminars on the Istanbul Convention organized in national parliaments.

With the entry into force of the Istanbul Convention, we are called to respond to a new challenge: how to

ensure effective and high-quality parliamentary monitoring of the Istanbul Convention, both at national and at

European level, in full synergy with the other monitoring mechanisms set out by the Convention.

Let me recall that the Istanbul Convention is the first legally-binding instrument in the world to foresee a

specific role for parliamentarians in monitoring the implementation of the Convention. In addition, the

Parliamentary Assembly is invited to take stock of the implementation of the Convention on a regular basis.

The independent monitoring mechanism set out by the Convention – GREVIO – will probably start to

function only in March 2015. BUT, AT NATIONAL LEVEL, in all the countries in which the Convention has

already started to be applied, we can play a role of OVERSIGHT, questioning our governments and collecting

information on the situation on the grounds from reliable sources – NGOs, victims, ombudspersons, and so on.

This is why I would like to proceed very rapidly with the preparation of a report, which should give concrete

examples OF THE BEST PRACTICES, POLICIES, and EXTRACTS of LEGISLATION on the main aspects

covered by the Convention.

The structure of the report would follow the structure of the Convention:

- PREVENTION

- PROSECUTION

- PROTECTION

- INTEGRATED POLICIES

I shall attach special attention to issues such:

– data collection;

– media coverage of violence against women (including respect of the victims) and awareness-raising

campaigns;

– effectiveness of criminal prosecution (there are too many victims, too few convicted offenders, and too

mild sanctions);

– availability of shelters and psychological support for victims (which are put at risk by the economic crisis);

– multi-agency co-operation (which is essential to ensure that the needs of the victims are met);

– the situation of vulnerable women (for instance, girls, older women, women from minorities, migrants).