The Istanbul Convention is to be approved by the Cabinet later this week, Prime Minister Ion Chicu announced after the ordinary meeting with President Igor Dodon and Parliament Speaker Zinaida Grechanyi, IPN reports.

“The Government will approve this Convention and will submit it to Parliament for ratification,” stated the Premier.

According to him, an adviser to the Prime Minister on human rights is to be appointed this week. The procedure for selecting candidates was kicked off and the human rights area from now on will be under the Premier’s control.

Moldova signed the Council of Europe Convention (Istanbul Convention) on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence in February 2017. The document requires to adopt comprehensive policies, to institute efficient mechanisms for preventing, eliminating or, at least, reducing violence against women and domestic violence.

When the Istanbul Convention is ratified, the national authorities will be obliged to ensure services to protect the victims of domestic violence and their children, to provide refuge, operational nonstop hotlines, legal advice and medical assistance and to create a mechanism for offering compensatory payments to victims of domestic violence, etc.