31 October 2013, National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia ratified the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention).

According to the Istanbul Convention, a state is bound to take necessary measures to promote changes in social and cultural patterns of behaviour of women and men in order to eradicate prejudices, customs, traditions and other practices, which are based on inferiority of women and stereotypical roles of women and men.

The Republic of Serbia has made a reservation against two articles of the Istanbul Convention – Article 3 of the Law authorizing the ratification of the Istanbul Convention states: “The Republic of Serbia retains the right not to apply the provisions of the Article 30, Paragraph 2 and Article 44, Paragraph 1, Item e, Paragraph 3 and Paragraph 4 of the Convention before the harmonization of the internal criminal legislation with the stated provisions of the Convention.”

For the Istanbul Convention to come into force, ten states need to deposit the ratification instruments for accepting the Convention, out of which at least eight of ten initial states need to be members of the Council of Europe. The Istanbul Convention comes into force on the first day in a month after the expiry of three months after depositing ratification instruments by ten states signatories, by which the Convention is ratified, accepted or approved.

For more information, see the announcement: Ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence