GREVIO stands for the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence. It is an independent body of experts established under the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, commonly known as the Istanbul Convention.
GREVIO’s primary responsibility is to monitor how countries that are parties to the Istanbul Convention implement the obligations contained in the treaty. It evaluates legislation, policies, institutions, services, and other measures adopted by countries to prevent violence, protect victims, prosecute perpetrators, and coordinate responses to violence against women and domestic violence.
GREVIO is an expert monitoring body rather than a national government agency. Its members are independent and impartial experts who serve in their individual capacities. The body currently consists of 15 members, elected for four-year terms that can be renewed once.
GREVIO and the Istanbul Convention
The Istanbul Convention was developed by the Council of Europe as an international legal framework addressing violence against women and domestic violence. Its implementation is supported by a monitoring mechanism designed to assess whether parties are putting the Convention’s provisions into practice.
The monitoring mechanism has two distinct but interacting bodies:
- GREVIO, the independent expert body that evaluates implementation.
- The Committee of the Parties, a political body composed of representatives of countries that are parties to the Convention.
GREVIO produces evaluation reports and findings. The Committee of the Parties subsequently considers those findings and adopts recommendations concerning measures that countries should take to implement them.
This division gives the monitoring system both an independent expert assessment and a political follow-up mechanism.
The Role of GREVIO
GREVIO’s central task is to examine whether countries are fulfilling their commitments under the Istanbul Convention.
Its work covers the Convention’s broad areas of action, including:
- Preventing violence against women
- Protecting victims and survivors
- Providing support services
- Investigating and prosecuting violence
- Addressing domestic violence
- Improving cooperation among agencies
- Developing coordinated policies
- Collecting relevant data
- Promoting awareness and education
- Addressing different forms of violence covered by the Convention
GREVIO does not simply assess whether a country has adopted a particular law. Its evaluations examine how legal and policy measures operate in practice and whether the country’s overall response reflects the standards established by the Convention.
Country-by-Country Evaluation
One of GREVIO’s main activities is its country-by-country evaluation procedure.
The process begins when GREVIO sends a questionnaire to a party to the Convention. The country is asked to provide information about the measures it has taken to implement the Convention.
GREVIO then considers the country’s report alongside information from other sources. These can include non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations, national human rights institutions, Council of Europe bodies, and other international treaty bodies.
This broader information-gathering process is important because government reports represent only one source of information. Input from organizations working directly with victims and survivors can provide additional information about how laws, policies, and services function in practice.
Evaluation Visits
Where appropriate, GREVIO conducts an evaluation visit to the country being assessed.
During an evaluation visit, GREVIO representatives can meet with government officials as well as professionals and organizations working in relevant areas. These may include social workers, healthcare professionals, police officers, prosecutors, judges, NGOs, and other civil society representatives. GREVIO may also visit relevant facilities, such as women’s shelters, police stations, or healthcare facilities.
These visits allow the experts to supplement written information with direct discussions and observations.
The process is intended to be dialogue-oriented. GREVIO considers information from different stakeholders before preparing its assessment.
GREVIO Evaluation Reports
After gathering and examining information, GREVIO prepares an evaluation report.
The draft report is discussed and adopted by GREVIO before being transmitted to the country concerned for comments. Government comments are considered when GREVIO finalizes its report. The final report is subsequently published together with any final comments received from the country.
These reports provide detailed assessments of the measures a country has taken to implement the Istanbul Convention.
They can identify areas where implementation is progressing as well as areas where additional measures are needed.
Baseline Evaluations and Thematic Evaluations
GREVIO’s monitoring has developed through different evaluation stages.
The baseline evaluation provides a comprehensive assessment of how a country implements the Convention’s provisions. After the baseline round, GREVIO can conduct thematic evaluations that focus on specific aspects of implementation.
The first thematic evaluation round focuses on “Building trust by delivering support, protection and justice.” It examines selected provisions concerning law enforcement and criminal justice, support services for victims, and a victim-centered approach.
The shift toward thematic evaluations allows GREVIO to examine particular areas in greater depth and assess progress over time.
Information From Civil Society
Civil society plays an important role in GREVIO’s monitoring process.
GREVIO can receive information from NGOs, other civil society organizations, and national human rights institutions. These sources can provide perspectives on issues that may not be fully reflected in official government reporting.
For organizations working on violence against women, the monitoring process therefore provides an opportunity to contribute information about the implementation of laws, availability of services, barriers faced by victims, and practical challenges in responding to violence.
This multi-source approach is a significant feature of the Istanbul Convention monitoring mechanism.
Special Inquiry Procedure
In addition to regular country evaluations, GREVIO has the ability to initiate a special inquiry procedure in specific circumstances.
The procedure can be initiated when GREVIO has reliable information indicating that action may be required to prevent a serious, massive, or persistent pattern of acts of violence covered by the Convention. GREVIO can request an urgent report from the country concerned and may designate one or more of its members to conduct an inquiry.
Where appropriate and with the consent of the country concerned, an inquiry can include a country visit.
The special inquiry mechanism is separate from the ordinary country-by-country evaluation process and is intended for situations requiring particular attention.
GREVIO General Recommendations
GREVIO’s work is not limited to country-specific evaluations.
Under the Istanbul Convention, GREVIO may also adopt general recommendations concerning themes and concepts covered by the Convention. These recommendations are not directed at one particular country. Instead, they provide guidance relevant to all parties.
One example is General Recommendation No. 1, adopted in 2021, which addresses the digital dimension of violence against women. It examines how the Convention can be applied to violence committed online or through technology.
General recommendations allow GREVIO to address emerging or cross-cutting issues affecting implementation of the Convention.
GREVIO Membership
GREVIO members are independent and impartial experts with professional backgrounds relevant to the Convention.
The membership can include people with expertise in areas such as human rights, gender equality, violence against women, domestic violence, criminal law, and assistance and protection for victims.
Members serve in their individual capacity rather than representing their governments. The current structure provides for 15 experts, each elected by the Committee of the Parties for a four-year mandate, renewable once.
This independent structure is intended to support expert-based monitoring rather than national representation.
GREVIO and the Committee of the Parties
GREVIO and the Committee of the Parties have different responsibilities within the Istanbul Convention’s monitoring system.
GREVIO conducts expert evaluations and publishes its findings. The Committee of the Parties then considers GREVIO’s reports and adopts recommendations for the countries concerned. It also supervises implementation of its own recommendations.
The two bodies therefore operate as parts of the same monitoring framework rather than as interchangeable organizations.
GREVIO provides the independent expert assessment, while the Committee of the Parties provides the political follow-up.
Parliamentary Involvement
The Istanbul Convention also provides for parliamentary involvement in monitoring.
Countries are expected to submit GREVIO’s reports to their national parliaments so that legislators can participate in the monitoring of implementation. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe also has a role in taking stock of implementation at regular intervals.
This creates an additional connection between international monitoring and domestic legislative institutions.
GREVIO’s Broader Importance
GREVIO provides an international mechanism for examining how countries respond to violence against women and domestic violence.
Its work brings together legal analysis, policy evaluation, expert assessment, country visits, civil society input, and follow-up procedures. Rather than simply establishing standards, the Istanbul Convention’s monitoring mechanism is designed to examine whether those standards are being implemented.
The Council of Europe reports that the Convention currently has 39 parties, with dozens of monitoring visits and evaluation reports published through the monitoring system.
GREVIO’s published reports also create a substantial body of comparative information about how different countries address violence against women and domestic violence.
Conclusion
GREVIO, the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, is the independent expert body responsible for monitoring implementation of the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention.
Through country evaluations, information gathering, evaluation visits, reports, special inquiries, and general recommendations, GREVIO examines how countries are putting the Convention’s standards into practice. Its work covers legislation and policy as well as practical measures related to prevention, protection, support services, investigation, prosecution, and coordinated responses.
GREVIO operates alongside the Committee of the Parties, which uses GREVIO’s findings to adopt recommendations and oversee their follow-up. Together, these bodies form the core of the Istanbul Convention’s monitoring mechanism.
As countries continue implementing the Convention and responding to changing forms of violence, GREVIO’s evaluations and thematic work provide an international framework for assessing progress and identifying areas where further implementation is needed.
