EU ratifies Istanbul Convention

Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić said this. 

“I welcome today’s ratification by the EU of the Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, known as “Istanbul Convention”: a very good day for Europe,” she tweeted. 

Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence

The Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence is the first document that legally obliges to create a legal framework to combat violence against women. Countries that have joined the convention must criminalize psychological violence, stalking, physical and sexual violence, forced marriage, forced abortion and sterilization.

The Convention was opened for signature on May 11, 2011 in Istanbul and entered into force on August 1, 2014. It is permanently open for signature by any country in the world. On March 12, 2012, Turkey was the first country to ratify the Convention, followed by 36 countries from 2013 to 2022.

The EU joined the Istanbul Convention back in 2017, but was unable to ratify it due to the refusal of some member states. They claimed that ratification was possible only with unanimous consent. However, in 2021, the EU Court of Justice rejected this claim.

Ukraine signed the Istanbul Convention in November 2011 and ratified it on June 20, 2022. This happened, in particular, after calls from the UN, as 86% of rape victims and 76% of victims of domestic violence in Ukraine are women.