Istanbul Convention Alliance calls for the establishment of a state coordination body to implement the Istanbul Convention
In response to a minor interpellation from the Left Party regarding the implementation of the Istanbul Convention, the Federal Government has provided vague statements on new projects, such as the coordination body.
The 2021 coalition agreement announced an “unreserved and effective” implementation of the Convention. “These words must now be followed by action,” says the Alliance. From the perspective of the Istanbul Convention Alliance (BIK), this includes the establishment of a state coordination body in the sense of Art. 10 of the Istanbul Convention.
Already in its 2021 alternative report on the implementation of the Istanbul Convention in Germany, the BIK called for the “prompt establishment of a state coordination body to organise communication between different departments at federal and state level, as well as their respective (joint) responsibility for combating violence against women”.
Civil society experience in Spain shows that when establishing a state coordination body, it is essential to incorporate intersectional perspectives in order to protect people from marginalised groups in particular.
For such a coordination body to work effectively, it must be equipped with clear competencies, financial and human resources, as well as a clear mandate and authority to issue directives, the Alliance explains. Only a constant professional exchange between the coordination body, experts and NGOs ensures that the implementation of the Convention is oriented towards the diverse realities of women affected by violence. The BIK demands that civil society organisations actively participate as partners in the implementation through an official advisory board.
The members of the BIK consider the establishment of a state coordination body to be an important instrument for ensuring the consistent implementation of the Istanbul Convention. For this reason, further delays in setting up such a body are unacceptable.
The Istanbul Convention Alliance is a coalition of 25 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other federal associations focusing on violence against women and girls in Germany, which has been monitoring and promoting the implementation of the Istanbul Convention since 2018.
Member organisations: BAG Autonome Mädchenhäuser, BAG Forsa e.V., BAG kommunaler Frauenbüros, BAG Täterarbeit Häusliche Gewalt e.V., BAG Wohnungslosenhilfe e.V., Berufsverband erotische und sexuelle Dienstleistungen e.V., bff – Frauen gegen Gewalt e.V., BIG e.V., BVFeSt e.V., Cora – Frauen helfen Frauen e.V. Rostock, DaMigra e.V., Deutscher Frauenrat e.V., djb e.V., Frauenhauskoordinierung e.V., gesine intervention, JUMEN, KOK e.V., medica mondiale e.V., MIA e.V. i.G., PRO ASYL e.V., S.I.G.N.A.L. e. V., Weibernetz e. V., Zentrale Informationsstelle Autonomer Frauenhäuser
Advisory experts: Prof. Dr Ariane Brenssell, Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences Braunschweig/Wolfenbüttel; Karin Heisecke, political consultant and expert on violence against women; Dr Monika Schröttle, Gender, Violence and Human Rights Research and Monitoring Centre (FOBES) at the Institute for Empirical Sociology, Nuremberg
Press contact for the Alliance: Xenia Bukowsky, Coordinator of the Istanbul Convention Alliance, 030 204569-45, bukowsky@frauenrat.de
