"Assessing the results of the campaign as well as the measures taken by the Council of Europe and its member states to protect women from abuse": this is the goal set out for the closing conference of the CoE campaign against the abuse of women, including domestic abuse, which is taking place in Strasbourg today and tomorrow. "The guests explain the organisers will look at proposals for future actions to fight this breach of human rights, especially the need the develop a new Convention of the Council of Europe to prevent and fight against the abuse of women". The two-year pan-European campaign "has put sexual abuse top of the list in the political agenda", add the promoters. The initiative aims at "raising the awareness of the public powers and the population, urging the states to take national measures to prevent and fight against this phenomenon, protecting the victims and prosecuting the offenders". The secretary general of the CoE, Terry Davis, will open the meeting, which will be attended by delegates of the 47 member states, experts, associations and NGOs.
