KOSOVO -The Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, known as the Istanbul Convention, sets comprehensive standards to prevent and combat violence against women and domestic violence. It recognizes the obligation of the state to fully address gender-based violence in all its forms, and to take measures to prevent violence against women, protect its victims and prosecute the perpetrators.
Although unable to ratify the Istanbul Convention, Kosovo is aiming at amending its Constitution to recognize the Convention’s direct applicability. Encouraged by an initiative of the Caucus of Women Members of Parliament, the President of the Assembly of Kosovo, Mexhide Mjaku-Topalli, requested the Constitutional Court to review the amendment proposed by eighty deputies of the Assembly. The Court ruled positively on the matter and enabled the Assembly of Kosovo to vote on the adoption of the amendment in the near future. The Court found that the proposed amendment would strengthen the commitment of Kosovo towards the protection of human rights.
