Council of Europe

Adopted in 2011 and signed by thirty-seven states as of 2014, this regional Convention endeavors to protect women against all forms of violence and to promote substantive equality between men and women. The Convention conceptualizes violence against women - especially domestic violence - as a form of discrimination. This implies that states can be held liable if they do not take sufficient measures to prevent such forms of discrimination. The Convention notes that, to achieve equality between men and women, freedom from violence is imperative. It mandates states to adopt

Taking the UN Trafficking Protocol as its starting point, this 2005 Council of Europe Convention seeks to strengthen the protection afforded by other international legal instruments for trafficked persons. Using the UN definition of human trafficking, the Convention highlights the safeguarding and protection of human rights and human dignity as one of its primary concerns.

The European Social Charter, a regional legal instrument, entered into force in 1965. It enumerates social rights such as the right to work, the right to safe and healthy working conditions, the right of children and young persons to protection, the right of employed women to protection, the right to protection of health, and the right to Social Security. State parties to this Charter must submit a report every two years on the implementation of these rights to a committee of experts who reviews the reports.