(1)

The Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (the ‘Convention’) was concluded by the Union by means of Council Decision (EU) 2023/1075 (1) with regard to institutions and public administration of the Union, and by means of Council Decision (EU) 2023/1076 (2) with regard to matters related to judicial cooperation in criminal matters, asylum and non-refoulement, insofar as such matters fall within the exclusive competence of the Union, and entered into force for the Union on 1 October 2023.

(2)

The Committee of the Parties (the ‘Committee’) is a body of the monitoring mechanism of the Convention. On 4 May 2015, the Committee, in accordance with Article 67(3) of the Convention, adopted its rules of procedure (the ‘Rules of Procedure’), as set out in Document IC-CP(2015)2. The Rules of Procedure provide that the Committee is able to authorise representatives of civil society, in particular non-governmental organisations (NGOs) active in combating violence against women and domestic violence, to send representatives as observers to its meetings on an ad hoc basis. It also provides that observers have no right to vote or to the defrayal of expenses.

(3)

Following the request of an NGO to participate in a meeting of the Committee as an observer, it became apparent that it was necessary to establish the procedure and criteria for considering the admission of NGOs as ad hoc observers for the purpose of implementing the relevant Rules of Procedure. Discussions regarding the Committee’s approach to such requests were held at the 18th and 19th meeting of the Committee in June 2025 and December 2025.

(4)

On 27 January 2026, based on the discussions of the Committee, the Secretariat of the Committee (the ‘Secretariat’) shared a draft Decision on the participation of NGOs as observers in meetings of the Committee of the Parties to the Istanbul Convention (the ‘envisaged act’), as set out in document IC-CP(2026)1 prov. The Secretariat invited the Parties to approve the proposal through a written procedure. It was further communicated to the Parties that, unless objections were submitted in writing to the Secretariat by 26 March 2026, the envisaged act would be deemed adopted.

(5)

As regards the proposed procedure for considering the admission of NGOs as ad hoc observers, the envisaged act provides that the Committee is to decide on such admission through a silent written procedure organised by the Secretariat prior to the relevant meeting, with a decision to be taken at that meeting if there are any objections. The participation of NGOs as ad hoc observers in meetings of the Committee is to be limited to the thematic debates of the Committee and could extend over multiple meetings. The criteria for assessing applications for admission are to include the timely submission of the request, the NGO’s adherence to the values of the Council of Europe, the NGO’s activity in the field of combating violence against women and domestic violence, and the NGO’s registration in or conduct of activities within Council of Europe Member States or countries that have been parties or have expressed an interest in becoming a party to the Convention.

(6)

It is appropriate to establish the position to be taken on the Union’s behalf, as the envisaged act will be binding on the Union under international law.

(7)

The draft decision on the participation of NGOs as observers in meetings of the Committee to the Parties of the Istanbul Convention should be approved on behalf of the Union as regards matters falling within the exclusive competence of the Union. In the area of shared competences covered by the draft decision, the Member States retain their competence insofar as the draft decision does not affect common rules or alter their scope.

(8)

In order to implement the Rules of Procedure allowing NGOs to participate as ad hoc observers in meetings of the Committee, the Committee is to decide on a procedure for the admission of NGOs to its meetings and to agree on a list of criteria for assessing the applications for admission. The suggested procedure appears reasonable, efficient and sufficiently clear, and the proposed list of criteria appears appropriate and designed to ensure that only relevant NGOs are admitted as observers.

(9)

The Union’s position should therefore be not to object to the adoption of the envisaged act,