No: 139, 5 May 2015

The Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, which was opened for signature in İstanbul in 2011 during Turkish Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers, entered into force on 1 August 2014 upon the completion of the ratification procedures by ten countries. Turkey was the first country to sign and ratify this Convention, known as the İstanbul Convention.

The first meeting of the Committee of the Parties to the İstanbul Convention was held in Strasbourg on 4 May 2015. The Committee elected unanimously Ambassador Erdoğan İşcan, Turkish Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe, as its chairman and carried out the elections for GREVIO, which is the group of independent experts who will monitor the implementation of the İstanbul Convention. Our candidate, Prof. Dr. Ayşe Feride Acar, was elected as one of the 10 independent members of GREVIO.

Turkey is determined to continue its contributions to developing international human rights law and its efficient implementation, also within the framework of the Council of Europe of which it is a founding member.