At the International Conference “General and specialised services of
assistance to women who experienced violence - guarantees of availability
and quality of service”, dedicated to implementation of the Council of Europe
Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and
Domestic Violence, organised by the Gender Equality Committee of the
Parliament of Montenegro and the NGO Women's Safe House, with financial
support of the EU, TACSO - People2People component and UN Women, held
on 24-25 November 2015 in Podgorica, the following was adopted
PODGORICA DECLARATION
against violence against women and domestic violence
Participants of the International Conference “General and specialised services
of assistance to women who experienced violence - guarantees of availability
and quality of service”, from Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Montenegro, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Romania, Slovenia, Serbia, and
Turkey
Drawing upon
 Universal Declaration on Human Rights, International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights, International Covenant on Economic, Social
and Cultural Rights, United Nations Convention on the Elimination of
All Forms of Discrimination against Women and Optional Protocol to
the Convention, as well as General Recommendation No. 19 on
violence against women of the Committee on the Elimination of All
Forms of Discrimination against Women, Declaration on the Elimination
of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, Beijing Declaration and
Platform for Action, United Nations Convention on the Rights of the
Child and Optional Protocols to the Convention, United Nations
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Convention for
the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and its
Protocols, European Social Charter, Council of Europe Convention on
Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, Council of Europe
Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation
and Sexual Abuse, Recommendation Rec(2002)5 of the Committee of
Ministers to member states of the Council of Europe on the protection
of women against violence, Recommendation CM/Rec(2007)17 on
gender equality standards and mechanisms, Council of Europe
Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and
Domestic Violence, and other international documents;
 other human rights enshrined in the constitutions;

This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ
Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.
Remind that:
 women have the right to equal respect and protection of all human
rights and fundamental freedoms in political, economic, social,
cultural, civic, and any other area;
 rights and principles relating to equality, security, freedom, integrity,
and dignity of all people are guaranteed by international documents
and laws of our countries;
Note with concern that the level of violence against women and domestic
violence is still high, in various forms and on all levels of society;
Point out the need for harmonisation of the legislative and strategic
framework with the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and
Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, as well as for
higher quality of implementation of laws regulating the issue of preventing
and combating violence against women and domestic violence;
Request that:
 presidents of the states, at one of their summits, consider the issue of
violence against women and domestic violence, and adopt a document
which would strengthen the gender equality policy of preventing and
combating violence against women and domestic violence;
 competent parliamentary bodies include in their work programmes
consideration of implementation of the Council of Europe Convention
on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic
Violence and initiate amendments to laws for the purpose of their
complete harmonisation with the Convention;
 the governments:
1. support all relevant institutions dealing with violence against
women and domestic violence (police, health and social
institutions, educational institutions) in using all institutional
mechanisms for combating violence (complete and efficient
implementation of laws, drafting and implementing of mediumterm and long-term action plans on activities regarding combating
violence and protection of victims, etc.) and empowerment of
victims of violence for their better integration into society;
2. recognise contribution, to stimulate and support the work of
organisations of civil society, especially women’s NGOs specialised
in providing support to women and children who experienced
violence;
3. allocate adequate financial means and human resources for
adequate implementation of integrated policies, measures and
programmes for prevention of all forms of violence against women
and domestic violence, including those which are being
implemented by the NGOs;
4. promote research, data collection, unification, and publishing of
statistical data on cases of violence against women and domestic
violence, and association
international level;
of
institutions
on
the
state
and
Call for institutions for protection of human rights and freedoms, as well as
bodies for equality and promotion of equality, to provide, within its
competencies, a special contribution to prevention of violence against women
and domestic violence, to deterrence of perpetrators by insisting on adequate
penal policy and especially to protection of victims as a particularly risky
group;
Expect that, through legal and institutional mechanisms
 women and victims of violence should be provided with information on
their rights;
 women, who are exposed to violence, should be provided with access
to justice, through the right to fair trial (free legal aid, equality before
court, fair conditions of participation in the proceedings, prevention of
abuse of rights in the proceedings, efficient implementation of
protection measures, adequate compensation of damages caused by
violence, etc.);
Consider that it is necessary
 to, regularly and at all levels, ensure raising of the overall public
awareness on all forms of violence against women and its effects on
children, as well as on the need for its prevention;
 that the media should report professionally, without sensationalism, on
the cases of violence against women and domestic violence;
 to promote establishment of higher education programmes and
research centres at the level of universities to deal with issues of
gender equality, with special focus on violence against women;
Are concerned with the processes happening at the global level, resulting in
a large number of migrants and refugees, including women and children who
are particularly threatened by the danger from all forms of violence, and we
call for activities aimed at establishing a lasting peace;
Advocate for continuation of cooperation of states in the region on
implementation and monitoring of the implementation of the Council of
Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women
and Domestic Violence with the joint goal of achieving zero tolerance for
violence against women and domestic violence, development of democracy,
and equal participation of both genders in these activities.
Podgorica, 25 November 2015