ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The book describes the key points and conclusions from the preceding discussion as regards the potential held by the Istanbul Convention in relation to the issue of domestic violence. It contains a number of brief reflections in relation to the question of whether the adoption of a UN convention on violence against women may be a possible development, and with regard to the potential held by such an instrument in the context of domestic violence. Prior to the Istanbul Convention, the weightiest statements emanating from the Council of Europe on the issue of domestic violence had been those made by the European Court of Human Rights. For human rights standards to be implemented within states, there must be a political will among governments to do so, and often such a will is lacking.
