Armenia Signs CoE Convention on Domestic Violence

BRUSSELS — Permanent Representative of Armenia to the Council of Europe Paruyr Hovhannisyan signed on behalf of Armenia, Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence on January 18 in the presence of Council of Europe’s Deputy Secretary General Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni, the press service of the MFA Armenia reported.

Armenia becomes the 45th member State of the Council of Europe to have signed the Convention. Out of the 47 member States of the Council of Europe, only Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation have not signed the Convention.

“It’s impossible to exaggerate the role of women in the Armenian society and particularly inside the family. Armenia supports the strengthening of the protection of the rights of women and of course, everyone subjected to domestic violence and the CoE policy aimed at eliminating domestic violence. We are convinced that this convention will become an important tool to further enrich Armenia’s tool kits its for protection of human rights”, Ambassador Paruyr Hovhannisyan said.

Council of Europe’s Deputy Secretary General Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni praised the signing of such an important convention by Armenia, stressing Armenia’s commitment to strengthening human rights.

The Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence was signed in 2011 and entered into force in 2014. This treaty of the Council of Europe opens the path for creating a legal framework at pan-European level to protect women against all forms of violence, and prevent, prosecute and eliminate violence against women and domestic violence.

The Convention also establishes a specific monitoring mechanism (“GREVIO”) in order to ensure effective implementation of its provisions by the Parties.