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11/07/2013 Meeting |
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11/07/2013 Meeting |
| Autonomous Women’s Centre attended the 21st session of the Committee on Human and Minority Rights and Gender Equality, which analysed the Draft Law on Ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence submitted by the Government. Tanja Ignjatovic praised the fact that the draft law raises the possibility for Serbia to be among the top ten countries that have ratified this European Convention, and thus to start improving regulation and overall policy in the prevention and protection of women from violence. At the same time, she reminded the members of the Committee about the reservation of the state in respect to this international document, which does not reflect consistency of the government policy Autonomous Women’s Centre attended the 21st session of the Committee on Human and Minority Rights and Gender Equality, which analysed the Draft Law on Ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence submitted by the Government. The session was chaired by Meho Omerović, Chairman of the Committee. On behalf of the Government, Stana Božović, Secretary of State in the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy explained the Draft Law on Ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, citing data that indicate the frequency of the phenomenon, which demands an effective, comprehensive and coordinated state response. Meho Omerovic, president of the Committee on Human and Minority Rights and Gender Equality first gave the word to civil society representatives. On behalf of Autonomous Women's Centre Tanja Ignjatović praised the fact that the draft law raises the possibility for Serbia to be among the top ten countries that have ratified this European Convention, and thus to start improving regulation and overall policy in the prevention and protection of women from violence. At the same time, she reminded the members of the Committee about the reservation of the state in respect to this international document, which does not reflect consistency of the government policy. The Republic of Serbia entered a reservation by signing the Convention (April 4, 2012). The current Ministry of Justice and Public Administration declared that it would not lift the reservation. Article 3 of the Draft Law on Ratification of the Convention states: "The Republic of Serbia reserves the right not to apply the provisions of Article 30 Paragraph 2 and Article 44 Paragraph 1 |
| Subparagraph e and paragraphs 3 and 4 of the Convention until it harmonise internal criminal legislation with the aforementioned provisions of the Convention." Tanja Ignjatovic reminded that Serbia had not entered the reservation to the exact same content of Article referring to the jurisdiction of the Convention on the protection of children from sexual exploitation and sexual abuse (art. 25 para. 1e ), which was accepted in 2010. It is a positive decision, but even then the criminal law was not compliant with the provisions of the Convention, and the state did not enter a reservation, which raises the question of why there is a reservation in relation to the same content in the Convention for the protection of women from violence. Another reservation was placed on Article related to an appropriate state compensation (Article 30, paragraph 2) for persons who had suffered serious injury or whose health had seriously suffered due to violence. Besides the fact that the state has for years shown unwillingness to deal with the problem of femicide by their partners or relatives, that this year marks an increase in the number of women who have been murdered, and that there are no data on the cases of severe injury because of poor records, by not taking responsibility for compensation for the damage caused, the state allows the system institutions to have inadequate protection to victims of domestic violence. Tanja Ignjatovic also proposed to harmonise the translation of some terms in the Convention with the translation of other international instruments. For example, the standard of "due diligence" in this Convention was translated as "total commitment" and in the mentioned Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse the same term is translated as "due diligence", which is the usual official translation of the term in other documents. She also informed the Committee members that Autonomous Women’s Centre is the holder of a regional project aimed at contributing to the promotion and implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, and expressed hope that it would be actively involved in the campaign to be implemented on that occasion. After the speeches of other representatives of civil society organisations and presentations of members of the Committee on Human and Minority Rights and Gender Equality, the Committee Chairman put the Draft Law to the vote. |
| Autonomous Women’s Centre attended the 21st session of the Committee on Human and Minority Rights and Gender Equality, which analysed the Draft Law on Ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence submitted by the Government. Tanja Ignjatovic praised the fact that the draft law raises the possibility for Serbia to be among the top ten countries that have ratified this European Convention, and thus to start improving regulation and overall policy in the prevention and protection of women from violence. At the same time, she reminded the members of the Committee about the reservation of the state in respect to this international document, which does not reflect consistency of the government policy Autonomous Women’s Centre attended the 21st session of the Committee on Human and Minority Rights and Gender Equality, which analysed the Draft Law on Ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence submitted by the Government. The session was chaired by Meho Omerović, Chairman of the Committee. On behalf of the Government, Stana Božović, Secretary of State in the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy explained the Draft Law on Ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, citing data that indicate the frequency of the phenomenon, which demands an effective, comprehensive and coordinated state response. Meho Omerovic, president of the Committee on Human and Minority Rights and Gender Equality first gave the word to civil society representatives. On behalf of Autonomous Women's Centre Tanja Ignjatović praised the fact that the draft law raises the possibility for Serbia to be among the top ten countries that have ratified this European Convention, and thus to start improving regulation and overall policy in the prevention and protection of women from violence. At the same time, she reminded the members of the Committee about the reservation of the state in respect to this international document, which does not reflect consistency of the government policy. The Republic of Serbia entered a reservation by signing the Convention (April 4, 2012). The current Ministry of Justice and Public Administration declared that it would not lift the reservation. Article 3 of the Draft Law on Ratification of the Convention states: "The Republic of Serbia reserves the right not to apply the provisions of Article 30 Paragraph 2 and Article 44 Paragraph 1 Subparagraph e and paragraphs 3 and 4 of the Convention until it harmonise internal criminal legislation with the aforementioned provisions of the Convention." Tanja Ignjatovic reminded that Serbia had not entered the reservation to the exact same content of Article referring to the jurisdiction of the Convention on the protection of children from sexual exploitation and sexual abuse (art. 25 para. 1e ), which was accepted in 2010. It is a positive decision, but even then the criminal law was not compliant with the provisions of the Convention, and the state did not enter a reservation, which raises the question of why there is a reservation in relation to the same content in the Convention for the protection of women from violence. Another reservation was placed on Article related to an appropriate state compensation (Article 30, paragraph 2) for persons who had suffered serious injury or whose health had seriously suffered due to violence. Besides the fact that the state has for years shown unwillingness to deal with the problem of femicide by their partners or relatives, that this year marks an increase in the number of women who have been murdered, and that there are no data on the cases of severe injury because of poor records, by not taking responsibility for compensation for the damage caused, the state allows the system institutions to have inadequate protection to victims of domestic violence. Tanja Ignjatovic also proposed to harmonise the translation of some terms in the Convention with the translation of other international instruments. For example, the standard of "due diligence" in this Convention was translated as "total commitment" and in the mentioned Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse the same term is translated as "due diligence", which is the usual official translation of the term in other documents. She also informed the Committee members that Autonomous Women’s Centre is the holder of a regional project aimed at contributing to the promotion and implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, and expressed hope that it would be actively involved in the campaign to be implemented on that occasion. After the speeches of other representatives of civil society organisations and presentations of members of the Committee on Human and Minority Rights and Gender Equality, the Committee Chairman put the Draft Law to the vote. |
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| The contents of the website are the sole responsibility of Autonomous Women’s Center and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union. | ||
