A delegation from the Dutch Caribbean and the Netherlands were invited by the Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the Council of Europe, Mrs. Tanja Gonggrijp, to attend a conference in Strasbourg. The invitation followed a productive meeting with the participants earlier this year. The conference provided an opportunity for exchange regarding the ratification and implementation of the Istanbul Convention. The Convention aims to prevent, prosecute and eradicate violence against women and girls and domestic violence.
The Council of Europe is a European organization in which governments of 46 member states are represented with the aim of making agreements that are important for human rights, the rule of law and democracy in Europe. The Istanbul Convention, which was ratified by the Netherlands on November 18, 2015, has not yet been ratified by the Dutch Caribbean islands. Within the Kingdom, the four countries (the Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten) and the public entities Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius are working together to achieve ratification of the Istanbul Convention on the Dutch Caribbean islands. During the conference, the islands’ representatives will engage with small member states of the Council of Europe that have already ratified and implemented the Convention, such as Ireland and Malta.
Highlights of the program included participation in several workshops on key topics, including the Lanzarote Committee, the Committee for the Prevention of Torture and a visit to the European Court of Human Rights. Special attention was paid to the prevention of all forms of violence against women, data collection on violence against women, provision of support services for victims, risk assessment and programs for perpetrators. The delegation also attended a presentation by the Dutch Ombudsman and by the Istanbul Secretariat at the Council of Europe, including the work of GREVIO (Group of Experts for Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence). GREVIO’s role is to monitor the implementation of the Istanbul Convention and provide technical support to member states.
The participants expressed their sincere gratitude to Mrs. Tanja Gonggrijp and her team for making this important work visit possible, in collaboration with the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport.
