Bringing together high-level government representatives, experts, international organisations, NGOs and the media, the conference will take as its starting point the Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, adopted in April 2011.
The event provides a forum to raise awareness about the Convention and to encourage countries to sign and ratify it. The conference will also launch the Norway Grants support to prevent and tackle gender-based violence.
Now working through dedicated programmes, funding has been substantially increased, from €3 million in the previous round, to €20 million available for 2009 to 2014. The Council of Europe is directly involved as a partner in several Norway Grants programmes dealing with gender-based violence.
Preventing violence, protecting victims and prosecuting the perpetrators are the cornerstones of the landmark Convention. It also seeks to change the hearts and minds of individuals by calling on all members of society, in particular men and boys, to change attitudes. It aims at zero tolerance for violence against women and domestic violence.
Slovak Justice Minister Lucia itòanská and Council of Europe Deputy Secretary General Maud de Boer-Buquicchio will open the conference, along with the Slovak Deputy Prime Minister for Human Rights and National Minorities Rudolf Chmel, the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women Rashida Manjoo, and the State Secretary of the Norwegian Justice and Police Ministry Astri Aas-Hansen.