Representatives of the Council of Europe and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) met in Brussels on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women to discuss current priorities and opportunities for further cooperation on this issue.

The head of the Council of Europe office in Brussels, Ambassador Andriy Zayats, and counsellor Gisella Gori met the UNFPA’s Regional Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Florence Bauer, and the Director of the UNFPA Representation in Brussels, Birgit Van Hout.

Discussions focused on the need for a coordinated approach to help victims of gender-based violence in Ukraine, broader initiatives to tackle digital violence against women and girls, and the need to encourage more countries to join the Council of Europe’s ground-breaking Istanbul Convention on violence against women and domestic violence.

The Istanbul Convention currently covers 37 countries in Europe, including 21 EU member states. The convention entered into force in both Ukraine and the United Kingdom on 1 November 2022.