site.btaIstanbul Convention Subject to Public Discussion, Justice Minister Suggests Adoption of Interpretative Declaration

Sofia, January 23 (BTA) - Justice Minister Tsetska Tsacheva Tuesday suggested ratification of the Istanbul Convention with reservations and the adoption of an interpretative declaration with the aim to calm down those with reservations to the document. She was speaking at a public discussion in Sofia on the bill to ratify the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, also known as the Istanbul Convention.

The discussion, hosted by the St Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia, was organized by National Assembly Chair Tsveta Karayancheva. Participating were representatives of institutions, NGOs and various religious denominations. The event was also paralleled by two protests: one in support and the other against the Istanbul Convention ratification.

Tsacheva noted that the notion of 'gender' which does not have a direct equivalent in Bulgarian and is translated as 'sex' has caused numerous comments among the public. According to the Convention, there is no obligation to acknowledge legally a third sex according to national legislation. The Bulgarian Constitution is adamant that there is no option for recognition of marriages concluded in other countries by persons of identical sex, the Justice Minister said.

Ombudsman Maya Manolova also supported the idea of an interpretative declaration, saying that such a document should be discussed and adopted. It should state that the Istanbul Convention will be applied according to the principles of the Constitution and should clarify the Bulgarian understanding of socially constructed roles of gender. The latter term is already affixed in the Equality of Men and Women Act, she said, and has not caused the appearance of a third sex.

The fight against violence against women is the essence of the Istanbul Convention, and that is an enormous problem in Bulgarian society, Manolova went on to say. In her words, one in every four women is a victim of domestic violence and there are 1 million men who resort to it.

The Metropolitan of Stara Zagora Cyprian read Monday's address of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, which appealed to the National Assembly not to ratify the Convention because it introduces terms alien to the Bulgarian Orthodox faith, national traditions and legal system.

The Episcopal Conference of the Catholic Church in Bulgaria expressed grave concern, stating that it does not support the ratification of the Istanbul Convention, because it claims to aim resolution of vital problems but also generates many controversies in the Council of Europe member states. As other episcopal conferences in Europe have already done, the Catholic Church in Bulgaria calls for an active position of the Bulgarian government before European institutions for a comprehensive reconsideration of the Convention in the spirit of time-honoured human and Christian values.

The Caritas charity foundation said violence against women is an enormous problem and the Convention provides very good measures against it, but as an organization firmly stepping on Christian principles it fully supports the opinion of the Catholic Church.

The Protestant Church in Bulgaria also voiced a negative opinion of the Istanbul Convention.

Representatives of the Confederation for Child Rights Protection and parental organizations spoke against the Convention's ratification.

UNICEF and organisations working with women victims of violence said its prevention is possible and appealed to Bulgaria to ratify the Istanbul Convention.