Assembly
debate on 26 June 2009 (26th Sitting) (see Doc. 11943, report of the Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women
and Men, rapporteur: Mr Austin). Text
adopted by the Assembly on 26 June 2009 (26th Sitting).
Thesaurus
1. The Parliamentary
Assembly refers to its Resolution
1681 (2009) on the urgent need for action on so-called “honour crimes”
and asks the Committee of Ministers to ensure that it is applied
by member states, taking account of the fundamental principles of
gender equality and respect for human rights.
2. The Assembly asks the Committee of Ministers to devise a comprehensive
strategy to put a stop to so-called “honour crimes”. This strategy
will be based on the elimination of every form of legislative justification
for diminishing or removing the criminal responsibility of the perpetrators
of “honour crimes”. It will aim to eliminate social acceptance of
“honour crimes” and will emphasise the fact that no religion advocates
“honour crimes”. It will include a study to ascertain and deal effectively
with the underlying causes of this form of violence against women.
It will support the setting up of an international network against
“honour crimes”.
3. The Assembly calls on the Committee of Ministers to instruct
the Ad hoc Committee on Preventing and Combating Violence against
Women and Domestic Violence (CAHVIO) to include in the future Council
of Europe convention the severest and most widespread forms of violence
against women, including domestic violence and so-called “honour
crimes”.
4. Drawing attention to its Recommendation 1798 (2007) on respect for the principle of gender equality in civil
law, the Assembly reiterates its request for a new protocol to the
European Convention on Human Rights (ETS No. 5) to be drawn up enshrining
gender equality as a human right.
5. The Assembly invites the Committee of Ministers to include
the fight against the most severe and most widespread forms of violence
against women in its assistance and co-operation programmes, and
to seek extra-budgetary resources to finance these activities.
