Nordic-Baltic Meeting of the National Coordinating Bodies of the Istanbul Convention
”Preventing femicide and assessing the risk of violence against women in the Nordic-Baltic context”
Monday 23rd of September 2024 at 12:00 – Tuesday 24th September 2024 at 14:00, Oslo, Norway

AGENDA

Day 1 – 23rd of September

12:00-12:15 Opening of the meeting
Norwegian Ministry of Justice and Public Security

12:15-13:15 Lunch

13:15-14:30 Introduction of participants and the modality of coordinating bodies in each country (5 mins each)
Ms. Elina Kervinen, Secretary General of the NAPE Committee, Finland

Ms. Hilde Marit Knotten, Research Coordinator, Norwegian Ministry of Justice and Public Security

Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania

14:30-15:00 Risk assessment in Finland – MARAC
Ms. Elisa Niklander, Development Manager, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare

15:00-15:15 Coffee break

15:15-15:45 Prevention and risk assessment in Norway (RISK, SARA & Patriark)
The Norwegian Police Directorate

15:45-16:15 Prevention and risk assessment in Denmark (InfoHus)
Denmark

16:15-17:15 Discussion and sharing of experiences

17:15-17:30 Wrap up of Day 1
Norwegian Ministry of Justice and Public Security

19:00-21:00 Dinner


















Day 2 – 24th September


09:00-09:05 Opening of Day 2

09:05-09:30 Preventing femicides through Partner Homicide Commission
Sweden

09:30-10:45 Other examples on preventing femicides from the Nordic-Baltic countries
Iceland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania

10:45-11:00 Coffee break

11:00-12:00 Discussion and sharing of experiences in preventing femicide

12:00-12:30 Strengthening collaboration between Nordic and Baltic Countries in implementing the Istanbul Convention
Norwegian Ministry of Justice and Public Security

12:30-12:45 Second meeting of the Nordic-Baltic coordinating bodies in Finland
Ms. Minna Viuhko, Senior Specialist, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Finland

12:45-13:00 Way forward and wrap up of Day 2
Norwegian Ministry of Justice and Public Security

13:00-14:00 Lunch

14:00 End of the meeting

Nordic-Baltic Meeting of the National Coordinating Bodies of the Istanbul Convention
”Preventing femicide and assessing the risk of violence against women in the Nordic-Baltic context”
Monday 23rd of September 2024 at 12:00 – Tuesday 24th September 2024 at 14:00, Oslo, Norway

AGENDA

Day 1 – 23rd of September

12:00-12:15 Opening of the meeting
Norwegian Ministry of Justice and Public Security

12:15-13:15 Lunch

13:15-14:30 Introduction of participants and the modality of coordinating bodies in each country (5 mins each)
Ms. Elina Kervinen, Secretary General of the NAPE Committee, Finland

Ms. Hilde Marit Knotten, Research Coordinator, Norwegian Ministry of Justice and Public Security

Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania

14:30-15:00 Risk assessment in Finland – MARAC
Ms. Elisa Niklander, Development Manager, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare

15:00-15:15 Coffee break

15:15-15:45 Prevention and risk assessment in Norway (RISK, SARA & Patriark)
The Norwegian Police Directorate

15:45-16:15 Prevention and risk assessment in Denmark (InfoHus)
Denmark

16:15-17:15 Discussion and sharing of experiences

17:15-17:30 Wrap up of Day 1
Norwegian Ministry of Justice and Public Security

19:00-21:00 Dinner


















Day 2 – 24th September


09:00-09:05 Opening of Day 2

09:05-09:30 Preventing femicides through Partner Homicide Commission
Sweden

09:30-10:45 Other examples on preventing femicides from the Nordic-Baltic countries
Iceland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania

10:45-11:00 Coffee break

11:00-12:00 Discussion and sharing of experiences in preventing femicide

12:00-12:30 Strengthening collaboration between Nordic and Baltic Countries in implementing the Istanbul Convention
Norwegian Ministry of Justice and Public Security

12:30-12:45 Second meeting of the Nordic-Baltic coordinating bodies in Finland
Ms. Minna Viuhko, Senior Specialist, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Finland

12:45-13:00 Way forward and wrap up of Day 2
Norwegian Ministry of Justice and Public Security

13:00-14:00 Lunch

14:00 End of the meeting

See list of addresses




Your ref.
Our ref.
Date

24/4206 - HMK
01.07.2024

Invitation to a Nordic-Baltic Meeting of the National Coordinating Bodies of the Istanbul Convention: “Preventing femicide and assessing the risk of violence against women in the Nordic-Baltic context”

With the purpose of establishing a Nordic-Baltic cooperation around the Council of Europe Convention to Prevent and Combat Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (the Istanbul Convention), the Norwegian Ministry of Justice and Public Security would like to invite the Nordic and Baltic countries to a lunch-to-lunch seminar in Oslo 23 and 24 September 2024.

The aim of the seminar is to exchange experiences and best practices related to the implementation of the Istanbul Convention. An additional aim is to work towards a fixed structure for a Nordic-Baltic cooperation on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.

The target group for the seminar is civil servants of the National Coordinating Bodies of the Istanbul Convention. The main topics of the seminar are risk assessment and risk management, intimate partner homicide/femicide and coordinating bodies.

An application has been sent to the Nordic Council of Ministers for funding of the venue and a conference dinner on September 23. Travel and accommodation must be paid for by the participant countries themselves.

We invite you to sign up with up to five participants from each country. Registration can be sent to the following two e-mail addresses by August 15: [email protected] and [email protected]. The venue for the conference will be announced by the middle of August.

Attached you will find a concept note for the Nordic-Baltic cooperation, as well as a draft agenda for the meeting. Participants are kindly asked to present experiences and best practices from their own country at the meeting, according to the draft agenda.

The seminar is prepared in collaboration with the Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare.

We look forward to seeing you in Oslo in September.

Yours sincerely


Line Nersnæs
Specialist Director
Hilde Marit Knotten
Research Coordinator

The document is approved electronically, as such no handwritten signatures are required.



Attachments:
Concept note
Draft agenda



List of addresses:
Danish Ministry of Justice
Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare
Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health
Icelandic Ministry of Justice
Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Estonia
Ministry of Welfare of the Republic of Latvia
Ministry of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania
The Swedish Ministry of Employment

The Istanbul Convention - Nordic-Baltic cooperation
It is proposed to establish a Nordic-Baltic cooperation and exchange of experience related to the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention to prevent and combat violence against women and domestic violence (the Istanbul Convention). With the exception of Lithuania, all the Nordic-Baltic countries have ratified the convention.
In the first instance, it is proposed to organize a seminar/mmeting in Oslo on 23-24. September 2024 with participation at official level from bodies that coordinate the work on the implementation of the Istanbul Convention.

Background:
Initiatives have been taken at regular intervals for Nordic and/or Nordic-Baltic cooperation in the work against violence against women and violence in intimate relationships. In 2017, the Nordic countries, including the autonomous territories of Åland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, collaborated on a project that mapped how the individual countries followed up on specific sections of the Istanbul Convention, including Article 10 on coordinating bodies and several articles under the Convention's prevention chapter. The project resulted in the report "The Istanbul Convention. The Nordic Way" (KUN 2018). The project received funding from the Nordic Council of Ministers.
In 2014 a project between Finland, Sweden and Norway has been carried out, also with funds from the Nordic Council of Ministers, where the use of and experiences with risk assessment tools were particularly looked at. The project published the report "Risk assessment of partner violence". Experiences and challenges in the Nordic countries' (Nordic Council of Ministers 2014).
All the Nordic countries, as well as Latvia and Estonia, have ratified the Istanbul Convention and thereby committed themselves to implementing a number of concrete measures to prevent and combat violence against women and violence in close relationships. Exchange of experiences and closer cooperation between the Nordic-Baltic countries on issues and solutions linked to the convention will contribute to a strengthened implementation of the convention in the respective countries.

Topics suggested for the seminar in Oslo in September 2024:
It will be particularly relevant to address the following topics during the seminar/meeting in Oslo in September, based on the previous collaboration:

Article 51 of the Istanbul Convention on risk assessment and risk management
Article 51 of the Istanbul Convention states that the parties, through legislation or other means, take the measures necessary to ensure that all relevant governing authorities carry out an assessment of the risk of death, of the seriousness of the situation and the risk of repeated violence, with a view to manage the risk and, if necessary, provide coordinated security and support.
Both Denmark, Norway and Sweden have adopted the risk assessment tool SARA in cases of intimate partner violence and Patriark in cases of honour-related violence. Finland uses the tool MARAC. In addition, Denmark has established the InfoHus model, particularly linked to the work against radicalization and violent extremism, while in Norway the RISK model is to be spread to all the country's police districts.
What experiences the countries have gained with the various risk assessment and risk management tools, and in particular how several sectors can be involved in the work and cooperate, will be useful issues to discuss.

Intimate partner homicide/femicide
Risk assessment and risk management must help prevent serious violence and intimate partner homicide. In Sweden, there has been an "intimate partner homicide commission" for several years and in Norway a commission is being established. What other measures have the countries implemented to prevent intimate partner homicide and what can the countries learn from each other?

Article 10 of the Istanbul Convention on Coordinating Body
It appears from Article 10 of the Istanbul Convention that the parties must designate or establish one or more official bodies responsible for the coordination, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and measures implemented with the aim of preventing and combating all forms of violence that fall under the Convention.
It would be useful to exchange experiences related to how the individual Nordic-Baltic countries have followed through on this obligation. It will be of particular interest how the obligation to have a monitoring body has been resolved.

Establishment of a fixed cooperation structure
One of the purposes of the Istanbul Convention (cf. Article 1) is to promote international cooperation with the aim of abolishing violence against women and domestic violence Is it desirable to have a fixed structure for Nordic-Baltic cooperation around work against violence against women and domestic violence? How can this collaboration be structured and which topics will be important to raise?

See list of addresses




Your ref.
Our ref.
Date

24/4206 - HMK
01.07.2024

Invitation to a Nordic-Baltic Meeting of the National Coordinating Bodies of the Istanbul Convention: “Preventing femicide and assessing the risk of violence against women in the Nordic-Baltic context”

With the purpose of establishing a Nordic-Baltic cooperation around the Council of Europe Convention to Prevent and Combat Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (the Istanbul Convention), the Norwegian Ministry of Justice and Public Security would like to invite the Nordic and Baltic countries to a lunch-to-lunch seminar in Oslo 23 and 24 September 2024.

The aim of the seminar is to exchange experiences and best practices related to the implementation of the Istanbul Convention. An additional aim is to work towards a fixed structure for a Nordic-Baltic cooperation on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.

The target group for the seminar is civil servants of the National Coordinating Bodies of the Istanbul Convention. The main topics of the seminar are risk assessment and risk management, intimate partner homicide/femicide and coordinating bodies.

An application has been sent to the Nordic Council of Ministers for funding of the venue and a conference dinner on September 23. Travel and accommodation must be paid for by the participant countries themselves.

We invite you to sign up with up to five participants from each country. Registration can be sent to the following two e-mail addresses by August 15: [email protected] and [email protected]. The venue for the conference will be announced by the middle of August.

Attached you will find a concept note for the Nordic-Baltic cooperation, as well as a draft agenda for the meeting. Participants are kindly asked to present experiences and best practices from their own country at the meeting, according to the draft agenda.

The seminar is prepared in collaboration with the Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare.

We look forward to seeing you in Oslo in September.

Yours sincerely


Line Nersnæs
Specialist Director
Hilde Marit Knotten
Research Coordinator

The document is approved electronically, as such no handwritten signatures are required.



Attachments:
Concept note
Draft agenda



List of addresses:
Danish Ministry of Justice
Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare
Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health
Icelandic Ministry of Justice
Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Estonia
Ministry of Welfare of the Republic of Latvia
Ministry of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania
The Swedish Ministry of Employment

The Istanbul Convention - Nordic-Baltic cooperation
It is proposed to establish a Nordic-Baltic cooperation and exchange of experience related to the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention to prevent and combat violence against women and domestic violence (the Istanbul Convention). With the exception of Lithuania, all the Nordic-Baltic countries have ratified the convention.
In the first instance, it is proposed to organize a seminar/mmeting in Oslo on 23-24. September 2024 with participation at official level from bodies that coordinate the work on the implementation of the Istanbul Convention.

Background:
Initiatives have been taken at regular intervals for Nordic and/or Nordic-Baltic cooperation in the work against violence against women and violence in intimate relationships. In 2017, the Nordic countries, including the autonomous territories of Åland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, collaborated on a project that mapped how the individual countries followed up on specific sections of the Istanbul Convention, including Article 10 on coordinating bodies and several articles under the Convention's prevention chapter. The project resulted in the report "The Istanbul Convention. The Nordic Way" (KUN 2018). The project received funding from the Nordic Council of Ministers.
In 2014 a project between Finland, Sweden and Norway has been carried out, also with funds from the Nordic Council of Ministers, where the use of and experiences with risk assessment tools were particularly looked at. The project published the report "Risk assessment of partner violence". Experiences and challenges in the Nordic countries' (Nordic Council of Ministers 2014).
All the Nordic countries, as well as Latvia and Estonia, have ratified the Istanbul Convention and thereby committed themselves to implementing a number of concrete measures to prevent and combat violence against women and violence in close relationships. Exchange of experiences and closer cooperation between the Nordic-Baltic countries on issues and solutions linked to the convention will contribute to a strengthened implementation of the convention in the respective countries.

Topics suggested for the seminar in Oslo in September 2024:
It will be particularly relevant to address the following topics during the seminar/meeting in Oslo in September, based on the previous collaboration:

Article 51 of the Istanbul Convention on risk assessment and risk management
Article 51 of the Istanbul Convention states that the parties, through legislation or other means, take the measures necessary to ensure that all relevant governing authorities carry out an assessment of the risk of death, of the seriousness of the situation and the risk of repeated violence, with a view to manage the risk and, if necessary, provide coordinated security and support.
Both Denmark, Norway and Sweden have adopted the risk assessment tool SARA in cases of intimate partner violence and Patriark in cases of honour-related violence. Finland uses the tool MARAC. In addition, Denmark has established the InfoHus model, particularly linked to the work against radicalization and violent extremism, while in Norway the RISK model is to be spread to all the country's police districts.
What experiences the countries have gained with the various risk assessment and risk management tools, and in particular how several sectors can be involved in the work and cooperate, will be useful issues to discuss.

Intimate partner homicide/femicide
Risk assessment and risk management must help prevent serious violence and intimate partner homicide. In Sweden, there has been an "intimate partner homicide commission" for several years and in Norway a commission is being established. What other measures have the countries implemented to prevent intimate partner homicide and what can the countries learn from each other?

Article 10 of the Istanbul Convention on Coordinating Body
It appears from Article 10 of the Istanbul Convention that the parties must designate or establish one or more official bodies responsible for the coordination, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and measures implemented with the aim of preventing and combating all forms of violence that fall under the Convention.
It would be useful to exchange experiences related to how the individual Nordic-Baltic countries have followed through on this obligation. It will be of particular interest how the obligation to have a monitoring body has been resolved.

Establishment of a fixed cooperation structure
One of the purposes of the Istanbul Convention (cf. Article 1) is to promote international cooperation with the aim of abolishing violence against women and domestic violence Is it desirable to have a fixed structure for Nordic-Baltic cooperation around work against violence against women and domestic violence? How can this collaboration be structured and which topics will be important to raise?