The European Union, in a statement delivered at the 62nd session of the UN Human Rights Council on 24 June 2026, expressed deep concern over the persistence of domestic and intimate partner violence against women and girls, calling it a serious human rights violation. The EU stressed that such violence is rooted in structural inequalities and discriminatory social norms, and that women facing multiple forms of discrimination are disproportionately affected and face greater obstacles in seeking redress.
The statement, delivered during the annual full-day discussion on the human rights of women, panel on domestic violence, outlined the EU's internal and external efforts. Within the EU, the landmark directive 2024/1385 on combating violence against women and domestic violence, adopted in 2024, establishes a common framework for prevention, protection, access to justice, and coordinated responses. The EU also highlighted its accession to the Istanbul Convention in 2023, which solidified its commitment to eliminate sexual and gender-based violence. Externally, the European Commission's Gender Action Plan III places ending sexual and gender-based violence at the heart of EU external action, and the EU partners with the UN through the Spotlight Initiative, described as the world's largest targeted effort to eliminate violence against women and girls.
The statement concluded by asking how states can most effectively translate international standards, such as those in CEDAW and General Comment No. 35, into coordinated, adequately resourced, and survivor-centred responses. The EU's intervention reaffirms its policy priorities without introducing new measures or funding commitments.