On 30 November, as a part of global 16 days of activism campaign to end violence against women, the Council of Europe organized a seminar on the Council of Europe Convention to Prevent and Combat Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (the Istanbul Convention).  Various national and international stakeholders attended the seminar, held in Tbilisi, to discuss achievements and challenges in the implementation of the Istanbul Convention. 

The seminar also served to launch the phase II of the project “Preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence in Georgia," which builds upon past co-operation activities of the Council of Europe in the country.

The project aims at strengthening the capacity of public officials involved in preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence in Georgia. The purpose is to provide national authorities with information about relevant European standards, in particular, the Council of Europe Istanbul Convention, as well as with the tools and the necessary expertise.

The Istanbul Convention is the most far-reaching international treaty to tackle violence against women which is a serious violation of human rights. Preventing violence, protecting victims and prosecuting perpetrators are the cornerstones of the Convention. The Istanbul Convention entered into force in Georgia on 1 September 2017.