On Thursday, 30 November, the Saeima adopted the Law “On the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence” (also known as the Istanbul Convention).

“The Istanbul Convention is an international treaty, which has been in effect in most European Union countries for already nine years. By ratifying the Convention, Latvia will have more instruments at its disposal to protect the human rights of its people,” stated Andrejs Judins, Chair of the Legal Affairs Committee of the Saeima, which was responsible for the progress of the draft law. Judins underlined that in Latvia violence against women and domestic violence are significant issues that require solutions. According to Central Statistical Bureau data, in 2021, one in four women aged 18 to 74 had experienced physical or sexual violence. However, not all victims of violence report it to the authorities.

The Convention provides for establishing a comprehensive and multifaceted legal framework aimed at protecting women from any kind of violence and protecting women and men from domestic violence. According to authors of the draft law from the Ministry of Welfare, most provisions of the Convention have already been included in Latvian laws, and the Convention supplements other international human rights documents binding on Latvia.

The states parties to the Convention are to develop a cohesive policy regarding violence against women and domestic violence, and the national authorities are to implement cross-institutional cooperation with NGOs, civil society, and the mass media. The Convention calls on all competent national authorities and services to engage so that violence against women and domestic violence could be targeted in coordination by developing rules for cooperation. In addition, the Convention stresses the need to collect statistical data on violence against women and domestic violence.

The states parties must provide comprehensive assistance and protection for victims, including crisis centres, 24/7 crisis helplines, specialised support centres for victims of sexual violence, and protection and support for children who are witnesses of violence.

In addition, the Convention provides that states parties must raise public awareness and educate experts on various types of violence to promote understanding about the traumatising nature of violence and increase the detection and reporting of violence. The Convention also highlights the importance of education. “Education has an important role in preventing violence, because attitudes and behavioural models start forming already in childhood,” emphasised Judins, noting that the Convention does not provide for a specific curriculum or standards for education programmes, and states can decide on them themselves.

In addition to the draft law, the Saeima adopted its annex, or declaration. It underscores: in Latvia’s view, the purpose of the Convention is to protect women against any kind of violence and to prevent, punish, and eradicate violence against women and domestic violence.

Moreover, the declaration states that the Convention will be implemented within the framework of the values, principles, and norms included in the Latvian Constitution, in particular, regarding the protection of human rights, equality between women and men, and safeguarding and supporting marriage, families, and the rights of parents and children. The declaration underlines that the term “gender” as defined in the Convention does not involve the obligation to introduce a new understanding of sex (female and male) in Latvian legal and education systems or to reinterpret the norms and values included in the Constitution.

Saeima Press Service