Report of the Federal Government on the first thematic evaluation round of the Istanbul Convention

The Message of the Federal Government for the first thematic evaluation round of the Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention, short IK) has a length of 673 pages. The first 98 pages contain the State Report in the form of the response to the recommendations issued by GREVIO (Group of Experts on action against violence against women and domestic violence). Ask.

Under the leadership of the Federal Ministry of Education, Family, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMBFSFJ), the following ministries and commissioners were involved: Justice and Consumer Protection (BMJV), Interior (BMI), Defence (BMVg), Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS), Health (BMG), Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), Housing, Urban Development and Construction (BMWSB), Federal Commissioner for Integration (IntB), for the Acceptance of Sexual and Gender Diversity (QB) and Independent Federal Commissioner for Issues of Child Sexual Abuse (UBSKM).

Because the federal system requires the implementation of the IK to be largely carried out by the sixteen states and over 11.000 municipalities, the federal states participated in the preparation of the report. The provision, expansion, and financing of aid and support facilities for women affected by violence were included in the main part of the report. An appendix of over 400 pages compiles the contributions from the states. Another appendix deals with administrative data and statistics (approximately 30 pages), and two tables present initial training (school or vocational training) and continuing education for various professional groups – each based on the individual states (approximately 120 pages).

As expected, the report includes key achievements such as 

• the Violence protection strategy of the Federal Government (2025–2030) with over 120 measures, 
• the Assistance to Violence Act (GewHG) to ensure a comprehensive network of protection and advice centres and a legal right to assistance from 2032,
• the establishment of a coordination office within the BMBFSFJ for the implementation and monitoring of the Istanbul Convention,
• monitoring by the Reporting Unit on Gender-Based Violence at the German Institute for Human Rights.

With regard to the injection of financial resources into the assistance system, reference is made to the budget laid down in the violence protection strategy, the Financing of women's shelters, counselling centres and prevention projects by the federal states as well as funding programmes, e.g. "Together against violence against women" with €140 million (2020-2024).

In terms of data and research, the report refers to expanded police statistics on the recording of crime scenes, degree of injury, perpetrator-victim relationships, national situation reports on gender-based and domestic violence, and the expected LeSuBiA study on dark figure data to record unreported violence.

Legislative changes to Anti-violence trainings in family law as well as legislative initiatives and protective measures against Cyber ​​violence will be announced.

Measures for particularly vulnerable groups: Women with disabilities, Migration background, LGBTIQ*, older women, and the expansion of facilities and training are described. The areas of education and prevention receive special emphasis.

This is contrasted by the fact that the Istanbul Convention Alliance In a forthcoming alternative report, the Commission will highlight the gaps in the system and the still inadequate implementation of the Istanbul Convention. Currently, cuts in funding and the termination of support for various projects can be observed in all areas. This contradicts the measures mentioned in the State Report. The migration policy, which is in breach of constitutional and EU law, conveys the opposite of the alleged improvements for Migrants affected by violenceThe long-awaited reform of child custody law is still not in sight.

The state visit by the expert group (The GREVIO meeting is scheduled to take place in the first half of 2026. Civil society expects an exchange and will point to the implementation of the necessary objectives of the Council of Europe Convention. GREVIO will summarize the evaluation of the state report, alternative report, and on-site visit in a report by the end of 2026.