Motion for a resolution | Doc. 12656 | 21 June 2011

Promoting the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence

Signatories: Mr José MENDES BOTA, Portugal, EPP/CD ; Mr Lokman AYVA, Turkey, EPP/CD ; Ms Marie-Louise BEMELMANS-VIDEC, Netherlands, EPP/CD ; Ms Ingrida CIRCENE, Latvia, EPP/CD ; Mr Arcadio DÍAZ TEJERA, Spain, SOC ; Ms Lydie ERR, Luxembourg, SOC ; Ms Cindy FRANSSEN, Belgium, EPP/CD ; Mr Jean-Charles GARDETTO, Monaco, EPP/CD ; Ms Gisèle GAUTIER, France, EPP/CD ; Mr Håkon HAUGLI, Norway, SOC ; Mr Serhiy HOLOVATY, Ukraine, ALDE ; Mr Kastriot ISLAMI, Albania, SOC ; Ms Francine JOHN-CALAME, Switzerland, SOC ; Ms Elvira KOVÁCS, Serbia, EPP/CD ; Mr Aleksandar NENKOV, Bulgaria, EPP/CD ; Mr Dimitrios PAPADIMOULIS, Greece, UEL ; Mr Andrea RIGONI, Italy, ALDE ; Mr Michał STULIGROSZ, Poland, EPP/CD ; Ms Doris STUMP, Switzerland, SOC ; Mr Jordi XUCLÀ, Spain, ALDE

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

On 11 May 2011, at the ministerial conference in Istanbul, the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence was signed by 13 Council of Europe member states.

As the first international convention in the world addressing the specific issue of violence against women, the Istanbul convention is a landmark instrument, confirming the leading role of the Council of Europe in the field of standard setting.

This convention also recognises a role for national parliaments in monitoring its implementation and invites the Parliamentary Assembly to regularly stake stock of it.

The Assembly, which has been strongly involved in the initiation, elaboration and opening for signature of the Istanbul convention, should strongly recommend its signature and ratification by the largest number of countries in Europe and outside. It should also call for accession by the European Union and promote it as a model for regional conventions, through the United Nations Women’s Agency.