On day two of the International Conference dedicated to implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, organised by the Gender Equality Committee of the Parliament of Montenegro and the NGO Women's Safe House, there was discussion led within the third working panel “Cooperation of public sector with NGOs - status evaluation and proposal of measures for promotion of cooperation”.

Speakers within this panel were: Ms Karolina Vrethem, Advisor for Gender Equality Affairs, European Commission, Mr Siniša Bjeković, Deputy Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms of Montenegro, Ms Samra Hadžiabdić-Filipović, Director of Gender Equality Agency, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ms Višnja Ljubičić, Ombudswoman for Gender Equality, Croatia, Ms Sonja Lokar, expert, Slovenia, Ms Maja Raičević, NGO Women's Rights Centre, Podgorica, Ms Dalida Horvat, Association SOS Help-Line for Women and Children Victims of Violence, Slovenia, and Ms Nada Drobnjak, Chairperson of the Gender Equality Committee of the Parliament of Montenegro. The moderator of this panel was Ms Adriana Bego, Center for Women War Victims - ROSA, Croatia.

The panellists presented a legal framework regulating the work of NGOs on prevention and elimination of violence against women and domestic violence, cooperation with state authorities, participation in making strategic policies and effects of cooperation with them in the process of making laws, policies, and protocols.

At the end of the Conference, the Podgorica Declaration against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence was adopted.

Participants of the International Conference “General and specialised services of assistance to women who experienced violence - guarantees of availability and quality of service”, from Montenegro, Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Romania, Slovenia, Serbia, and Turkey advocate for continuation of cooperation of states in the region on implementation and monitoring of the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence with the joint goal of achieving zero tolerance for violence against women and domestic violence, development of democracy, and equal participation of both genders in all activities.

Podgorica Declaration against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence