As delivered by Marija Pejčinović Burić, Secretary General of the Council of Europe

Postovani predsjednice Republike Srbije,

Ministre vanjskih poslova,

Povjerenice za zastitu ravnopravnosti,

Cijenjeni sudionici,

Dame i gospodo,

This Conference takes place at a difficult moment for Europe.

It is right that we should continue to address the range of challenges facing our societies.

And in that spirit, I congratulate the Republic of Serbia for organising this event.

Equally, it is right to acknowledge the terrible events that are taking place in Ukraine right now.

Russia’s attack on that country is a flagrant violation of the Council of Europe’s Statute.

And it is for this reason that our Committee of Ministers took the decision to suspend the Russian Federation.

That decision was clear, and it was necessary.

Human rights, democracy and the rule of law wither in war.

And our member states must be committed to applying our values in practice and in the pursuit of peace.

On this 8th March and today, our thoughts are with the people of Ukraine in particular, especially those who have lost loved ones.

It will not be news to members of this audience that women pay a particular price in times of conflict:

That their suffering is deep, diverse and often over-looked.

In this sense, it has much in common with the kinds of discrimination to which women are subjected day in, day out throughout the world.

Prime among these is violence against women and domestic violence, which is a focus of this Conference – and rightly so.

The Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention was designed to tackle this ever-present scourge:

Considered a “gold standard” treaty in its field, it takes a unique, three-pronged approach to the problem:

First, it sets clear standards for countries to meet, often involving changes to domestic law so that crimes are defined and addressed.

Second, it provides a unique, independent and international monitoring mechanism – GREVIO – to evaluate progress and help authorities move forwards.

And third, it provides for international co-operation, so that states parties can work together, across borders, to bring the perpetrators of these crimes to justice.

The Istanbul Convention ensures the kind of action that no country acting alone can match.

To date, it has 35 states parties.

Moldova was the most recent to ratify – in January – and others are on the way, including from outside Europe –

With Tunisia, Kazakhstan and Israel all requesting the opportunity to join.

This is important.

Because the more that we enlarge the circle of membership, the more women benefit from its protection.

And, despite the misconceptions that often exist around this treaty, its value is clear.

Those who join benefit not only from the Istanbul Convention itself, but from the work that GREVIO does to ensure its reach –

Including, for example, its first General Recommendation outlining how the Istanbul Convention addresses the violence against women online.

As a state party, Serbia gains from all of this.

And I salute the steps that this country has taken since ratification.

The Law on the Prevention of Domestic Violence;

The establishment of the Coordination Body for Gender Equality;

And the development of policies and actions plans-

All of these are helping to prevent violence, protect victims and prosecute those who commit these crimes against women.

Recent amendments to the law on gender equality were also intended to help.

And the Council of Europe has conducted an expert-led review to help national authorities get the balance right.

In all of this, you can rely on our Organisation’s support.

But you can also rely on your Protector of Citizens.

Independent Ombudsmen are central to advancing the fight against gender-based violence in our member states.

They are key partners to the Council of Europe.

And Serbia’s is a good example.

The Protector of Citizens is playing an active role in identifying loopholes and weaknesses and suggesting how these should be fixed.

By working with the Ombudsman and the Council of Europe, I have no doubt that Serbia can go on to achieve even more in the interests of women across the country, and beyond.

But while combatting violence against women is a major element of our approach, it is vital to see where it fits in the broader picture.

Our current Gender Equality Strategy is designed to eradicate discrimination between women and men.

It seeks to end violence – of course.

But it also aims to combat sexism and gender stereotypes;

To ensure women’s access to justice;

Support migrant women;

Achieve gender-balanced participation in political decision-making;

And achieve gender mainstreaming in all policies and programmes.

Ovo je ambiciozan pristup.

Ali ispunjavajući to, zajedno, možemo osigurati jednakost i jednake mogucnosti u interesu svih. Upoznata sam da je ovdje u Srbiji napravljeno niz važnih koraka na tom planu.

Danasnja konferencija je pravovremena i dobrodosla prilika za raspravu ne samo o tome što je postignuto, već i o koracima koji su pred nama. Hvala vam na paznji.