Strasbourg. 17.09.2014 – The international conference Safe from Fear, Safe from Violence: Celebrating the entry into force of the Istanbul Convention (Rome, Friday 19th September, 10 am, Aula Gruppi parlamentari, via Campo di Marzio, 78), is an event co-organised by the Italian Chamber of Deputies, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation and the Council of Europe.

The conference will be opened by the President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, Laura Boldrini, together with Council of Europe Deputy Secretary General Gabriella Battaini Dragoni, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Anne Brasseur and Italian Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Benedetto Della Vedova. Gabriella Battaini Dragoni and Italian Minister of Justice, Andrea Orlando will close the last session.

The Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (CETS n° 210) is the first legally binding international instrument for the creation of a legal framework protection against all forms of gender-based violence. The Convention, which entered into force on 1^st August 2014, has currently been ratified by 14 member states of the Council of Europe and another 22 States have signed it.

A Joint Declaration by Ministers from States’ Parties to the Istanbul Convention will be delivered in different languages to further highlight the pan-European nature of this treaty.

The conference will examine the role of the Istanbul Convention as a privileged instrument to protect women from gender-based and domestic violence. Practical actions that States can take in terms of prevention, protection and punishment of those responsible for abuses will be discussed and experiences and best practices compared.

Participants will include all actors involved in the implementation and execution of the Istanbul Convention, such as representatives from government structures and institutions at decision-making level, parliaments and local authorities from Council of Europe member states and beyond, judiciary and police, other regional and international organisations, NGOs and civil society as well as media.

The conference will be broadcast live on the webtv of the Chamber of Deputies.

For press accreditation: [email protected] ; Tel +39 0667602125 ; Fax +39 066783082

Contact: Giuseppe Zaffuto, Media officer/Spokesperson, Tel +33 3 90 21 56 04; Mob. +33 6 86 32 10 24