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Istanbul Convention: Position of the UK Government

26 May 2021

Lead MP

John Howell
Henley
Con

Responding Minister

Victoria Atkins

Tags

Crime & Law EnforcementJustice & CourtsNHSNorthern IrelandWomen & Equalities
Word Count: 3648
Other Contributors: 2

At a Glance

John Howell raised concerns about istanbul convention: position of the uk government in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key Requests to Government:

The UK Government should clarify the timeline for ratifying the Istanbul Convention and provide a detailed account of how it exceeds the requirements of the convention in all but three areas. The Minister is asked to address gaps in the law regarding psychological violence, extraterritorial jurisdiction, and non-discrimination relating to refugee or migrant residency status.

How the Debate Unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:

Lead Contributor

Henley
Opened the debate
There is an urgency to this debate due to the Turkish and Polish governments' intentions to withdraw from the Istanbul convention. The UK, as a founder member and grand payeur of the Council of Europe, has signed but not ratified the convention, leading to criticism from other countries. The convention aims to prevent and combat violence against women and domestic violence by obliging countries to eliminate such violence through various measures including training professionals, awareness-raising campaigns, and protection for victims.

Government Response

Victoria Atkins
Government Response
As always, Mr Hollobone, it is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Henley on securing this important debate on the Istanbul convention. We signed the convention in 2012 and remain committed to ratifying it as soon as possible. However, before discussing UK progress towards ratification, Turkey's recent decision to withdraw from the convention is disappointing; we urge Turkey to reconsider its position. The United Kingdom insists on implementing measures and laws before ratifying international conventions, which we have done while considering this one. We have robust measures in place to protect women and girls from violence, exceeding what the convention requires in many areas. The main obstacle delaying our ratification has been compliance with article 44, but provisions for extraterritorial jurisdiction will be implemented on 29 June, representing a significant milestone towards ratification. Article 33 on psychological violence is another issue; Northern Ireland is not yet compliant as it does not have in force an offence that criminalises psychological violence. Compliance with articles 3, 4 and 59 concerning migrant victims of domestic abuse is under review pending the evaluation and findings for the support for migrant victims scheme. The Government are committed to protecting vulnerable migrant victims and ensuring crucial support services remain accessible. We launched successful initiatives such as #YouAreNotAlone campaign reaching 35 million people, Ask for ANI codeword scheme with around 5,000 pharmacies participating, and provided more than £28 million to domestic abuse organisations. Since 2010, we have created new stalking offences, criminalised forced marriage, reviewed the criminal justice system's response to rape, and will publish a new violence against women and girls strategy later this year. We reopened the public survey on violence against women and girls following tragic events earlier this year, receiving around 180,000 responses.
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About Westminster Hall Debates

Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.