Informal exchange of views between member states and civil society representatives

At an informal meeting on 20 November 2024, delegations from the Council of Europe's 46 member states held an exchange of views with representatives of civil society on "Promoting ratification and implementation of the Istanbul Convention".

The Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention) entered into force ten years ago. Ratified by 38 member states of the Council of Europe and the European Union, it is the most far-reaching legal instrument for the protection of women and girls from violence. The exchange underlined the crucial role of civil society, in particular women's rights organisations, in advocating for the convention's ratification and implementation, as well as the contribution they make in providing specialist support services and counselling to women and girls exposed to the different forms of violence covered by the Istanbul Convention.

The exchange of views forms part of the Secretary General's follow-up to the decision taken by the Committee of Ministers in 2019 to protect and promote civil society more effectively by improving the participation of civil society organisations in the Council of Europe's work.

It also responded to the Committee of Ministers' call for action to promote further ratifications of the Istanbul Convention by member and non-member states, one year after the adoption of the Reykjavík Declaration at the 4^th Council of Europe Summit of Heads of State and Government (Reykjavík, Iceland, 16-17 May 2023).