ZAGREB, June 19, 2019 – Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Wednesday that no objection had been sent from other countries-signatories of the Istanbul Convention to Croatia regarding the interpretative statement accompanying the ratification law, which was why Plenković underscored that no lies or fears disseminated during the anti-ratification campaign had come true.
On 13 April 2018, Croatia ratified the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence with 110 votes in favour, 30 against and two abstentions, and along with ratifying the Istanbul Convention, the 151-seat parliament also adopted an interpretive statement which states that the purpose of the convention is protection of women against any form of violence, that its provisions do not contain any obligation to introduce ‘gender ideology’ in Croatia’s legal and education system, and that the convention is in line with Croatian constitutional provisions, notably those concerning protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms and the definition of marriage.
A deadline for submitting objections to the Interpretative Statement passed on Saturday, 15 June.
The fact that there is no objection from other signatories means that they agree with that statement and this proves that the statement has been prepared in a careful, responsible manner in consultation with Croatian legal experts and the legal service of the Council of Europe, Plenković said.
This also shows that Croatia has a responsible government and those who are well versed with international regulations and that the awareness of domestic violence is raised, he added.
The problem of family violence is something that should be addressed not only by nongovernmental authorities but also by the authorities, political parties and institutions, he underscored.
During today’s meeting, the Plenković cabinet adopted a protocol for conduct in cases of domestic violence and the document will be available on the websites of several ministries.
More news about Istanbul Convention can be found in the Politics section.
