GREVIO recognises violence against women committed in the digital sphere as an increasingly prevalent global issue with grave consequences. Mandated under Article 69 of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence
against Women and Domestic Violence (hereinafter the Istanbul Convention), which empowers GREVIO to adopt general recommendations on the implementation of
the convention, during its 21st plenary meeting GREVIO decided to prepare its very first General Recommendation and to dedicate it to the application of the Istanbul
Convention in relation to the digital dimension of violence against women. According to the Explanatory Report to the Istanbul Convention, general recommendations
shall have a common meaning for all parties and concern articles or themes that are included in the convention. And even though these general recommendations are
not legally-binding, they serve as an important reference for parties by developing a greater understanding of the different themes in the convention and offering clear guidance that can contribute to an effective implementation of the provisions
contained in the convention. These recommendations shall also be part of future monitoring rounds. (From the Introduction). Record #7433