A Council of Europe convention aimed at preventing and countering violence against women and domestic violence came into force on Thursday.
The Istanbul Convention requires state parties to ensure that gender-based violence against women may be recognized as a form of persecution and to ensure that the grounds for asylum listed in the 1951 Refugee Convention are interpreted in a gender-sensitive manner. This is the first time that gender-related persecution is explicitly mentioned in an international convention.
Welcoming the entry into force of the convention, UN refugee agency said "The Istanbul Convention is designed to become a global protection tool because non-European states can also accede to the convention." Gert Westerveen, UNHCR's representative to the Council of Europe, called on all states to accede to it and implement it.
The convention requires state parties to adopt legislative and practical measures to prevent and combat violence against women, as well as to coordinate measures through comprehensive policies. It establishes an obligation to introduce gender-sensitive procedures, guidelines and support services in the asylum process.
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