Quotes
Ivo Josipović, President of the Republic of Croatia, in its letter as friend of the EWL
"In particular, I support the European Women’s Lobby when it works, at the highest European level, on implementing the Istanbul Convention of the Council of Europe. The Convention deals with preventing domestic violence and offering adequate protection to victims. With respect to implementation of the objectives of the Istanbul Convention, the European Women’s Lobby and I share the same objectives. Therefore, I endorse your proposal for 2016 to become a European Year to End Violence against Women" (Letter
Cécile Gréboval, Secretary General of the European Women’s Lobby
" The ratification of the Istanbul Convention is imperative"
Najat Vallaud-Belkacem Minister of Women’s Rights adn Spokeperson of the French Government.
“The Istanbul Convention is a fundamental text and a benchmark at the international level.” (Speech at an exchange of views with the PACE Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination, 27 June 2013).
Lakshmi Puri, Deputy Executive Director, UN Women
“The Istanbul Convention complements existing legal norms, and expands the international framework on gender equality and the empowerment of women. It represents a “gold standard” and indeed, if I may say, is primus inter pares among instruments specifically targeting the elimination of violence against women" (Council of Europe side event: “Violence against Women – Our Concern, Our Response”, A side event at the 57th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women; New York, 4 March 2013).
Viviane Reding, Vice-President of the European Commission and EU Commissioner for DG Justice
“I ask all of you to go out to your governments, to go out to your national parliaments, to go out to your media and protest in your member states why our [European Union] member states have not ratified the first international legally-binding instrument to prevent and combat violence against women. What are they afraid of? Do our legal systems in the European Union work or do they not work?” (Vice-President of the European Commission , Speech in the European Parliament, 4 Feb 2013)
