Key Benefits:
RESOLUTION
On Combating Domestic Violence
The Baltic Assembly,
welcoming the campaign launched by the Council of Europe to combat violence against women;
noting that domestic violence is a violation of generally accepted human rights which causes degradation of fundamental values of society and family;
emphasizing that domestic violence is a multifaceted problem which includes social, family model, mental health and psychological aspects, as well as a stereotypical perception of violence by society;
especially stressing that violence must be regarded as intolerable behaviour against one’s wife, mother, father, children or other family members;
stressing that despite the positive changes in national legislation, policies and practice, domestic violence remains a topical national, regional and global problem,
calls on the parliaments and governments of the Baltic States:
– to establish in all Baltic law enforcement and social care institutions a uniform system for registering incidents of domestic violence;
– to ensure a 24-hour helpline enabling potential victims of violence to receive professional support and advice;
– to ensure that victims of violence receive appropriate legal and social assistance and protection;
– to organize joint training regarding domestic violence issues for employees of Baltic law enforcement agencies and social institutions, thus facilitating their closer and more prompt cooperation throughout the entire region;
– to improve national systems of preventive measures to combat domestic violence by calling on public and local government institutions to pay more attention to preventing the causes of violence and to minimizing the dissemination of information that depicts violence;
– to raise public awareness that successful solving of domestic violence-related problems is possible only through joint efforts by women and men;
– to strengthen cooperation with NGOs in order to instil in society intolerance towards domestic violence, to disclose incidents of violence in a timely way and to seek means for its prevention.
Riga, 24 November 2007
