Zonta International commemorates 10th anniversary of the signing of the Istanbul Convention

The Istanbul Convention, adopted on this day in 2011, is the global gold standard for addressing violence against women and domestic violence and has proven to be a highly effective tool which generates positive changes. It can, and has, literally saved the lives of women and girls by lowering the rate of femicide.

Click here to read our statement reaffirming support for the Istanbul Convention. Visit our Council of Europe webpage to learn more about our work at the Council of Europe and relevant instruments and treaties that can serve as tools to effectively advocate for the rights of women and girls.

The Committee of the Parties to the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention), announced the following 10 principles for a renewed decade of action:

1. Reaffirms the essential role of the Istanbul Convention in preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, as the most far-reaching and comprehensive set of standards to tackle this issue.
2. Welcomes the number of ratifications and calls on those Council of Europe member states that have not yet ratified the Istanbul Convention to do so; also welcomes the growing interest, among Council of Europe non-member states, in this treaty and invites those states to ratify it.
3. Praises the remarkable impact of the Istanbul Convention which has led and continues to lead to numerous advances to prevent violence against women and domestic violence, protect victims, and prosecute perpetrators on the basis of integrated policies.
4. Acknowledges the major contribution of the Istanbul Convention monitoring mechanism in preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence by providing tailored-made guidance as well as opportunities for states parties to learn from each other and exchange on best practices.
5. Welcomes the important role that civil society organisations, in particular women rights’ NGOs, play in preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, and calls on member states to recognise, encourage and support their work, including through sustainable funding opportunities and institutional cooperation mechanisms.
6. Expresses deep concern at the persistence of obstacles to the prevention and elimination of all forms of violence covered by the Istanbul Convention, including challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the spreading of false narratives about the Istanbul Convention and the attempt to weaken the multilateral and legally binding international system protecting women against violence.
7. Highlights the potential for sustainable change through the full implementation of the principles and requirements of the Istanbul Convention, which provide a powerful framework for overcoming obstacles and moving forward, by devising and implementing measures to counter violence against women as a persistent barrier to full equality between women and men.
8. Urges states parties to intensify their efforts to promote and fully implement the Istanbul Convention so as to realise this potential and respect, protect and promote the right of women and girls to live a life free from violence, including for women and girls facing multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination.
9. Calls upon states parties to embed equality between women and men as well as the eradication of violence against women and domestic violence in their collective efforts to build back better after the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, by making this objective a priority, mobilising the necessary financial and human resources, and leading by example in building a society free from violence against women and domestic violence.
10. Reiterates its determination to pursue exchanges and co-operation among members and observers of the Committee, as a necessity for addressing common challenges as well as strengthening and accelerating efforts in the next decade to eliminate violence against women and domestic violence, in order to contribute to the fulfilment of women’s rights.

Click here to read the committee's full declaration. 

11 MAY 2021