Minister for Justice Helen McEntee hosted a two-day conference entitled “No safe haven: Integrated prevention measures to end domestic, sexual and gender-based violence” in Dublin on September 29-30 as part of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of Europe. The conference saw ministers and high-level representatives from Council of Europe member states come together to discuss how to change social norms to tackle violence against women and how to best train professionals who work with both victims and perpetrators.

Key note speeches were delivered by Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee; Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić; Director of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights, Michael O’Flaherty; President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Tiny Kox; and President of the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) Iris Luarasi. The conference resulted in the adoption of the Dublin Declaration on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence by 38 member states, underlining states’ commitment to actively promoting a culture which rejects gender-based discrimination and violence, alongside commitments to several specific measures such as encouraging training among relevant professionals and committing to strategies that address the role of men and boys in preventing violence against women.