Multidisciplinary expertise and gender balance

States Parties should endeavour to nominate as many candidates as possible within the limit of three with a view to providing experts with different professional qualifications relevant to GREVIO’s work and to achieving gender balance (Rule 9 of the election procedure)

The diversity and complementarity of expertise as well as gender balance in the membership of GREVIO will depend on the selection of candidates at national level. States Parties are therefore strongly encouraged to nominate several candidates, both women and men, from different fields of expertise. By way of illustration, candidates could be legal professionals (e.g. judges, prosecutors, law enforcement officials, practicing lawyers), health-care professionals (general practitioners, psychiatrists, nurses, midwives, etc.), psychologists, social workers, as well as NGO representatives or other members of civil society working in the areas covered by the Convention.

Transparency and openness to competition

States Parties should ensure that the national selection procedure is transparent and open to competition in order to lead to the nomination of the most qualified candidates (Rule 10 of the election procedure).

The selection process of candidates for GREVIO membership at national level should be in line with the transparency and quality requirements laid out in CM/Res(2014)43.

For more guidance on this issue, see Resolution 1923 (2013) of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe of 8 March 2013 on reinforcing the election processes of experts of key Council of Europe human rights mechanisms. In its Reply of 18 September 2013 in relation to this matter, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe considered that, when establishing and implementing their selection procedures, States could usefully draw on its 2012 Guidelines for the selection of candidates for the position of judge at the European Court of Human Rights.

Integrity

Members of GREVIO should be chosen from among persons of high moral character (Article 66 (4) (a) of the Convention and Rule 2 of the election procedure).

It flows from this requirement that the behaviour and personal status of GREVIO members must be compatible with GREVIO membership. Professional or private activities of candidates for GREVIO membership shall be in line with the aims and purpose of the monitoring mechanism of the Istanbul Convention.

Competence and professional experience

Members of GREVIO should be known for their recognised competence in the fields of human rights, gender equality, violence against women and domestic violence, assistance to and protection of victims, or having demonstrated professional experience in the areas covered by the Istanbul Convention (Article 66 (4) (b) of the Convention and Rule 2 of the election procedure).

Competence and professional experience in the areas covered by the Istanbul Convention are at the heart of the selection processes of candidates at national level and the election of GREVIO members. Particular attention shall therefore be paid, within the framework of the election procedure, to the current professional activity, relevant previous professional activities, additional responsibilities and educational background of GREVIO candidates.

Independence and impartiality

GREVIO members should sit in their individual capacity and be independent and impartial in the exercise of their functions. They shall take no instructions from any government, organisation or person on how to perform their duties as members of GREVIO. Individuals holding decision-making positions as regards defining and/or implementing policies in the field of combating violence against women and domestic violence in government or in any other organisation or entity, which may give rise to a conflict of interest with the responsibilities inherent to membership of GREVIO, shall not be eligible (Article 66 (4) (e) of the Convention and Rule 3 of the election procedure).

GREVIO members do not represent the States in respect of which they are elected. They should also not engage, for the duration of their term of office, in any activity incompatible with their independence or impartiality. The independence and impartiality requirements imply that particular attention is paid to situations of real or perceived conflicts of interest when selecting candidates and electing GREVIO members.

Availability and capacity

GREVIO members should be available to carry out their duties in an effective manner. They shall have sufficient time and capacity to participate in the meetings and other activities of GREVIO, and be able to work for the preparation of the reports and other documents of GREVIO (Article 66 (4) (e) of the Convention and Rule 4 of the election procedure).

GREVIO membership implies active participation in a range of activities (meetings, preparation of documents, etc.). It may also involve participation in any country visits which GREVIO considers necessary. It is therefore crucial that candidates for GREVIO membership undertake to dedicate enough time to GREVIO and are capable to take part in all the Group’s activities.

Language skills

They shall have good command of at least one of the official languages of the Council of Europe (English or French). Passive knowledge of the other language is desirable (Rule 4 of the election procedure).

As a minimum requirement, candidates for GREVIO membership should have a good command of English or French. In order to be able to play a full part in the work of GREVIO, passive knowledge of the other language is desirable. Candidates are also encouraged to use the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages to make a self-assessment of their abilities in languages other than their mother tongue. A good practice also consists of assessing the candidates’ language abilities during selection interviews.

Electronic version of the model curriculum vitae set out in the Annex to Resolution CM/Res(2014)43

Members of GREVIO are elected by secret ballot.

Each member of the Committee of the Parties has as many votes per election round as there are seats to be filled on GREVIO.

The members of the Committee of the Parties can only vote for one national of each State.

The election should lead to a balanced composition of GREVIO in terms of competences and/or professional experience, geographical areas, main legal systems and gender in the Group. For this purpose, up to a maximum of three seats can be filled in each round. The candidate(s) who has/have received the most votes, and at least a majority of the votes cast, shall be elected.

GREVIO members are elected for a term of office of four years, renewable once.

The term of office ends at an earlier date if the Committee of the Parties finds, by a two-thirds majority of the members entitled to sit on this Committee, that the member no longer meets the requirements for membership of GREVIO or if the member requests the Secretary General to terminate his or her membership.

Resolution CM/Res(2014)43 on rules on the election procedure of the members of the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) (adopted by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on 19 November 2014)

Decisions of the Ministers’ Deputies at their 1212th meeting of 19 November 2014 in Strasbourg