Committee of the Parties

About the Committee of the Parties of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention)

The Committee of the Parties is the political body of the monitoring mechanism composed of the representatives of the Parties to the Convention.

Its role in the process of monitoring of the implementation of the Istanbul Convention includes:

Election of the Bureau

The Committee of the Parties elects its Bureau composed of a Chair, and two Vice-Chairs for a term of office of one year, renewable once.

At its 19th meeting held on 11 December 2025, the Committee of the Parties elected its new Bureau composed of: Ambassador Vebjørn Heines, Permanent Representative of Norway to the Council of Europe, as Chair, and Ambassador Berta Mrak, Permanent Representative of Slovenia to the Council of Europe, and Ambassador Rosa Velázquez Álvarez, Permanent Representative of Spain to the Council of Europe, as Vice-Chairs.

Their term of office started on 1 January 2026 and will end on 31 December 2026.

Election of GREVIO members

The Committee of the Parties elects the members of the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO), as stated in paragraph 2 of Article 67 of the Istanbul Convention.

More on the election procedure of GREVIO members

Evaluation procedures – Adoption of recommendations and follow-up

Based on GREVIO’s evaluation reports, the Committee of the Parties adopts recommendations for the parties on the most urgent action to be taken to implement the Istanbul Convention, while calling for the implementation of all findings made by GREVIO.

Baseline evaluation round - The Committee of the Parties decided to supervise the implementation of its recommendations once the three-year implementation period has ended, using a standardised reporting form that parties are invited to complete in accordance with the supervision procedure adopted at its 10th meeting on 13 April 2021.
First thematic evaluation round – The Committee of the Parties decided at its 17th meeting held on 17 December 2024 to supervise the implementation of its recommendations by requesting a written report from the party in question once the three-year implementation period has ended. In light of the report, it shall take note of measures taken in implementation of its recommendations.

More about the country monitoring work

Background information

Rules of procedure of the Committee of the Parties adopted on 4 May 2015 and revised on 30 April 2025
Meetings schedule and decisions of the Committee of the Parties
Official co-ordinating bodies

NEWS

Back 16th meeting of the Committee of the Parties to the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence

Christine EBEL

Modified 12 Months ago.

16th meeting of the Committee of the Parties to the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence

At its 16th meeting, the Committee of the Parties to the Istanbul Convention held in Strasbourg on 31 May 2024 adopted recommendations for Liechtenstein and conclusions on the implementation of recommendations in relation to Andorra, Belgium, Malta and Spain. It took note of the implementation reports of Albania, Austria, Denmark and Monaco, showing progress in the implementation of the Committee’s recommendations at the end of a five-year process of follow-up.

Moreover, it held an exchange of views with Maria-Andriani Kostopoulou, President of GREVIO and discussed possible approaches towards the adoption of recommendations on the basis of GREVIO’s first thematic evaluation reports which to be transmitted to the Committee in December.

It ended its meeting with a thematic discussion on preventive intervention and treatment programmes for perpetrators of domestic and violence (Article 16 of the Istanbul Convention). Alessandra Pauncz, Executive Director of the European Network for the Work with Perpetrators of Domestic Violence e.V., gave an overview of current standards and practices in this field, presenting a new Council of Europe publication released today entitled “Guidance for safe and effective perpetrator programmes: Article 16 of the Istanbul Convention”.

List of decisions

Strasbourg 31 May 2024