Statement by the Council of the Learned Society on the ratification of the Istanbul Convention

The President and members of the Council of the Learned Society of the Czech Republic join the voices that support the steps leading to the ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention). They do so out of the conviction that women's rights to safety, protection and equality must be respected, supported and strengthened at all levels. The vast majority of European countries, those with whom we share a similar culture and history, have signed up to ratify the Convention. 

The members of the Council of the Learned Society are convinced that the symbolic aspect of the ratification of the Convention is as essential as its substantive content. For both of these reasons, they call on the Government of the Czech Republic to refer the Istanbul Convention to both chambers of the Parliament of the Czech Republic to complete the ratification process, and they also call on MPs and Senators to vote in favour of ratification. 

The Council instructs its President to communicate the Council's opinion to the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, the President of the Chamber of Deputies and the President of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic. 

Prague, 16 June 2023

Council of the Learned Society of the Czech Republic

• Prof. RNDr. Libor Grubhoffer, CSc. - President
• Prof. RNDr. Martin Loebl, CSc. - 1st Vice president
• Prof. Mgr. Pavel Jungwirth, DSc. - 2nd Vice president
• RNDr. Ivo Starý, CSc. - Scientific Secretary
• RNDr. Šárka Nečasová, DSc. - Chair of the 1st Section of Mathematical and Physical Sciences
• Prof. Ing. Michal Hocek, CSc., DSc. - Chairman of Section II. of Chemical Sciences
• Prof. MUDr. Michal Anděl, CSc. - Chairman of the III. Section of Biological-Medical Sciences
• Prof. Lenka Karfíková, Dr. theol. - Chair of the IV. Section of Social Sciences and Humanities

Other members of the Learned Society also join the declaration (the list is continuously updated):

• Jiřina Bartůňková
• Jiří Bičák
• Jiří Čejka
• Jiri Damborsky
• Pavel Drábek
• Milan Chytrý
• Helena Illnerová
• Tomáš Jungwirth
• Marian Karlický
• Michal Křížek
• Jan Květ
• Eva Kubala Havrdová
• Olga Lomová
• Julius Lukeš
• Zdeněk R. Nešpor
• Lukáš Palatinus
• Jan Palouš
• JIří Pešek
• Tomáš Polívka
• Martin Prudký
• Aleš Pultr
• Petr Pyšek
• Blanka Říhová
• David Storch
• Vladimír Špirko
• Jan Štěpán
• Jan Trlifaj
• Vladimír Vonka
• Boris Vyskot