Istanbul Convention a promising framework for combatting violence against women — Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka

It is a real pleasure to be here today with you all, to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of our most farsighted policymakers. 

As you know, this year we have a new “Vision Award” for the most promising policy approach. I am delighted that the Vision Award is granted to the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. The Istanbul Convention, as it is known, is relatively new. It was adopted in 2011 and entered into force only recently, on 1 August 2014.

This excellently promising Convention is open for accession by any State in the world. It is currently the most comprehensive international legally binding instrument on violence against women and domestic violence. This is a key aspect of this convention’s visionary nature. It is an “all rounder”. The response is multi-disciplinary with long-term preventive actions as well as measures to ensure the prosecution of perpetrators and protection of survivors. 

We know that — to be effective — prevention and response to violence against women must take a comprehensive approach. This includes: collecting reliable data to inform laws, policies and programmes; implementing laws and policies that respond to and prevent violence; addressing impunity and ensuring women’s access to justice; and developing quality essential services for the protection, ongoing safety and recovery of survivors.  

The Istanbul Convention is a prime example of a comprehensive legal framework that addresses these essential aspects. It explicitly defines violence against women as a human rights violation. It recognizes unequal power relations between men and women as the root cause of violence against women and it advocates a gender-sensitive perspective in tackling it.

The Convention places the survivors’ rights and needs at the core of all State responses, while stressing the needs of particular groups of survivors. It emphasizes prevention measures and it requires State parties to establish specialized institutions; to form partnerships with the non-governmental sector and the media; to ensure budget allocations; and to undertake regular data collection and research.

Crucially, the Convention also provides for a monitoring mechanism through which State parties regularly assess implementation. It is essential that this mechanism is strong enough  to monitor and to hold States accountable. We know from experience that “vision” is not enough on its own. This Convention must also have teeth and be prepared to bite.

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is my great honour and pleasure to congratulate, on behalf of all organizers, the representatives of the Council of Europe, for having put in place a measure that holds so much potential.

I also invite these visionary winners, as well as the winners of the other awards, to join us in New York on 25 November to commemorate the International Day on Ending Violence against Women.

Together, backed and supported by your drive, your farsightedness and your insight into policies with punch, we will make progress with a fairer and more inclusive future.