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Dear Secretary of State, Mr Benedetto Della Vedova,

Dear Minister Islam, dear Minister Meslem Si Amer,

Excellencies,

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure for me to be together with you in the beautiful Villa Madama to celebrate this very special event, and I am deeply honoured that the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs is hosting this high-level dinner on the occasion of the entry into force of the Istanbul Convention.

So many people have worked so hard for so long to make the Convention a reality.  

For a long time it seemed that the odds were totally against us.

It has been a long and arduous journey.

For over three decades, the Council of Europe has been actively addressing gender stereotypes, sexism and violence against women.

Our pioneering work in the fields of human rights and gender equality has resulted in a solid legal and policy framework – a framework we can truly be proud of.

We have come a long way: from a non-binding recommendation on violence against women adopted in 2002, to the legally-binding and state-of-the art human rights treaty that is the Istanbul Convention.

We have also recently seen the adoption of a first ever Council of Europe Strategy on Gender Equality (2014-2017).

This strategy is essential in setting and prioritising important goals for our organisation, not least the eradication of violence against women.

The message we are reinforcing on all fronts is therefore crystal clear: achieving gender equality and combating violence against women are intrinsically linked.

It is only by achieving real gender equality that violence against women can be prevented.

The standards enshrined in the Istanbul Convention are rooted in policies and practices that have been tried and tested in our 47 member States.

They include pieces of legislation introduced at national level, often at the insistence of women‘s groups and organisations.

Now, thanks to the Istanbul Convention, they have been elevated to legally-binding standards - available to those willing to be bound by them.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The Istanbul Convention is a treaty made in Europe but not meant solely for Europe.

It is open to accession by all countries in the world.

The exchange of knowledge and experience which led to the adoption of this Convention cannot be limited to a particular geographic area.

It is not only our moral duty, it is also in our own interest to share information, know-how and of course, legally-binding standards, so that everyone can benefit from them. 

I strongly believe that the Convention and its monitoring system represent a unique opportunity to garner universal commitment to the elimination of all forms of violence against women.

We are already seeing how the Convention is gaining ground as a standard reference text even outside Europe’s borders.

The Convention and its provisions are contributing to the implementation of the world ‘women’s rights bill’, the UN CEDAW Convention.

Across the world, its provisions are a source of inspiration for countries drafting their national legislation and policy.

I am proud to say that it is in this spirit that we have engaged in extensive co-operation with countries in the Southern Mediterranean neighbourhood.

This is perhaps most evident within the framework of the Regional Programme on prevention of violence against women and children launched in 2012.

This co-operation ranges from providing support and technical expertise in drafting laws and policies to sharing good practices and capacity building activities.

It is my sincere hope that countries not party to the Council of Europe will also make use of the open nature of the Istanbul Convention.

Our organisation is strongly committed to ending violence against women, but we are well aware that achieving lasting success will depend on how well we manage to create – and maintain – efficient and sustainable partnerships.

No single agency or institution can deal with violence against women and domestic violence on it own.

The Council of Europe will therefore continue to join forces with the United Nations, the European Union and other regional organisations so that women across the world can reap the benefits of our work.

Looking to the future, I invite you all to use the Istanbul Convention as a global tool in every way you can. 

I also call on all Council of Europe member States which have not yet signed or ratified the Convention to speed up their internal procedures.

This is vital to ensure a wider scope of application of this instrument.

It is vital to ensure that women and girls receive the protection they require.

It is vital so that we close the gaps in our laws and capabilities while putting an end to impunity.

Ladies and gentlemen,

It has been a long journey, from the very first draft to the entry into force of the Convention last month.

So let us be proud of what we have achieved, for the Istanbul Convention is indeed ground-breaking.

But let us also not forget that we still have a long way to go. There is still a lot of hard work to done.

The evil of violence against women and domestic violence will continue to ruin the lives of millions of people unless we continue our efforts to turn the tide.

I do not want to hold up dinner any longer, so let me wrap up with the words of Eleanor Roosevelt, a special woman and early champion of civil and women’s rights.

Eleanor Roosevelt once said: “The destiny of human rights is in the hands of all of our citizens and all our communities.”

She was right.

Every one of us has an important role to play.

We must work together in new and unprecedented ways, across borders and religions, bringing governments and people together and tackling the problem from every possible angle.

Only then will we be able to declare victory.

Thank you.