* The present document is being issued without formal editing.

Information received from Slovakia on follow-up to the concluding observations on its seventh periodic report *

[Date received: 30 December 2025]

I.Introduction

1.Based on the Concluding observations on the seventh periodic report of Slovakia following the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women set out by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (hereinafter referred to as “the Committee”), Slovakia hereby presents a written information on the steps taken to implement recommendations of the Committee.

2.In the aforementioned concluding observations, in paragraph 53, the Committee called upon Slovakia to submit a written information on the steps taken to implement said recommendations, namely recommendations contained in paragraphs 17 (strengthening of the Slovak National Centre for Human Rights), 21(c) (criminalization of gender-based hate speech), 23 (a) (legislation on the prevention of violence against women), 37(c) (access to abortion services), within two years of their issuance.

3.Slovakia has collected all available information on the ongoing implementation of the 4 abovementioned recommendations, and this written information provides a brief summary of the latest developments.

II.Follow-up information on the concluding observations (CEDAW/C/SVK/CO/7)

A.Information relating to paragraph 17

National human rights institution

4.One of the attempts to strengthen the resources of the Slovak National Centre for Human Rights, namely the amendment to Act No. 308/1993 Coll. on the Establishment of the Slovak National Centre for Human Rights (also known as “Act on the Centre”), was rejected in July 2019. Since then, no legislative effort has been made to strengthen the mandate and independence of the Slovak National Centre for Human Rights (hereinafter referred to as “NCHR”) in full compliance with the Paris Principles. Although a minor amendment from March 2023 stipulated that reports prepared and published by the Centre pursuant to Article 1(2)(h) of the Act on the Centre are independent reports, it did not have a significant impact on the implementation of the Paris Principles.

5.Currently, the NCHR is awaiting the transposition of the EU directives on standards for equality bodies, which is overseen by the Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic. If the directives were fully transposed, they would have a significant impact on the functioning of the NCHR as an equality body. In terms of guarantees of independence and effectiveness, their transposition would inevitably be an opportunity to fully align the legislation with the Paris Principles, as was also indicated by the Government.

6.The primary institution in charge of strengthening the status of NCHR is the aforementioned Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic. In connection with this recommendation, the Ministry of Justice is currently working on the transposition of European Union Directives 2024/1499 and 2024/1500 into national law. Specific legal solutions that will also respond to the Committee’s recommendation are the subject of an ongoing legislative process. The aim is to strengthen the technical, human, and financial capacities of the Center (NCHR) and to achieve its full compliance with the Paris Principles, including the adoption of measures to guarantee its political and budgetary independence.

7.However, in terms of financial resources, the NCHR has been financially strengthened. Its budget has been gradually increasing since 2018.

B.Information relating to paragraph 21(c)

Gender stereotypes

8.The Slovak Criminal Code, in section 140(e), regulates a special motive for committing a criminal offense, namely: hatred toward a group of persons or an individual because of their actual or presumed affiliation with / membership of a race, nation, nationality, or ethnic group, or because of their actual or presumed origin, skin colour, gender, sexual orientation, political beliefs, or religious beliefs. This is an important part of criminal law, which considers hateful motives as an aggravating circumstance (resulting in a higher penalty).

9.The Criminal Code, therefore, considers all crimes committed on the basis of this specific motive to be “hate crimes.”

10.From the perspective of the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic, criminalisation of gender-based expressions is only possible through an amendment to the Criminal Code regulating the basics of criminal liability, types of penalties, their imposition, and the elements of all criminal offences. This legislation is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic. Police investigators always act in accordance with the law and ensure effective and independent investigation of acts and behaviours that give rise to objective suspicion that they fulfil the elements of a criminal offence specified in the Criminal Code. If a necessary legislative change is made, the Police Force will proceed in the same manner as when investigating other hate crimes.

11.The Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic also pays special attention to preventing the radicalisation of children and young individuals, which can lead to gender-based violence and misogynistic behaviour. The National Strategy Childhood without Violence sets out a number of tasks for the ministry, including the prevention of radicalisation of children and the promotion of education in the areas of human rights, tolerance, democracy, and the inclusion of disadvantaged groups.

12.Through its coordinators for the protection of children against violence, the Ministry of Labour organises multidisciplinary meetings and training sessions in regions showing signs of radicalisation among boys and girls. The ministry is actively involved in the VRAX working group and the DERAD expert group at the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic, thereby contributing to a multi-departmental approach to the issue of radicalisation. As part of the national hotline: “More Than a Nick”, consultants are undergoing professional training focused on online social screening to search for and report dangerous online groups and communities.

13.In cooperation with the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic, a handbook on recognising dangerous communities was developed and distributed to schools. The Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic is currently preparing a methodology for crisis intervention in schools, as well as a demand-oriented project to create 24 positions for specialists working with radicalised youth, with planned training. These measures are part of a broader multi-departmental solution coordinated by the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic and contribute to the prevention of gender-based violence and hate speech against women.

14.We would also like to point out that on January 1, 2024, Decree No. 328/2023 of the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic on a uniform labelling system and its application came into effect, introducing content descriptors for discrimination and age appropriateness, as well as the corresponding age appropriateness, addiction, and age appropriateness, vulgarity and age appropriateness.

C.Information relating to paragraph 23 (a)

Gender-based violence against women

15.We believe that measures to implement this recommendation should be taken in coordination with measures to transpose the newly adopted Directive (EU) 2024/1385 of the European Parliament and of the Council of May 14, 2024, on combating violence against women and domestic violence. Pursuant to Resolution No. 586/2024 of the Government of the Slovak Republic, the Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic is responsible for ensuring the transposition of the Directive on combating violence against women, and the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic, the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic, and the General Prosecutor’s Office are supposed to compliment Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic and share responsibility in the process of transposition.

16.The necessary amendment to legislation mainly concerns legislation under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic (the Criminal Code, the Criminal Procedure Code, Act No. 274/2017 Coll. on Victims of Crime), followed by Act No. 171/1993 Coll. on the Police Force and, where applicable, other legislation.

17.The Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic pays increased attention to the issue of preventing and eliminating violence against women. In this context, it is preparing comprehensive legislation that will reflect the requirements of the aforementioned Directive (EU) 2024/1385 of the European Parliament and of the Council on combating violence against women and domestic violence, as well as the related international obligations of the Slovak Republic.

18.The Ministry of Interior is prepared to cooperate with the Ministry of Justice and collaborate on the creation of legislation regulating the fight against violence against women, which will also include prevention and education. Currently, the Police Force carries out a number of preventive activities each year aimed at preventing and eliminating violence and socially pathological behaviour, including the issue of violence against women.

19.The Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family is also prepared to cooperate to its full capacity within its assigned role in the process of the transposition of Directive (EU) 2024/1385 of the European Parliament and of the Council in order to fulfil the obligations arising from the Directive.

20.We would also like to highlight the important role played by the Coordination and Methodology Centre and the Institute for Labour and Family Research, which also contribute to this issue with a number of publications (in the form of methodologies, proposals for improvement, or analyses) to map the current situation and established practices in investigating cases of violence against women. In doing so, they create a support mechanism for setting up a more effective system for preventing and eliminating such violence.

D.Information relating to paragraph 37 (c)

Health

21.Regarding the issue of waiting periods for abortion services mentioned in point 37(c), the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic states that waiting periods were established in order to protect women from making hasty decisions that cannot be reversed, and to allow sufficient time to consider the health risks associated with abortion at the woman’s request. Waiting periods do not in any way constitute restrictions on access to safe abortion services.

22.Slovakia makes an active effort to work on the topic of reproductive health. The issue of women’s access to reproductive health rights in Slovakia, namely how to ensure access to quality reproductive care in line with international human rights and health standards, was the subject of the last meeting of the Council of the Government of the Slovak Republic for Human Rights, National Minorities and Gender Equality (hereinafter referred to as “RVĽPaRR”), which took place on September 30, 2025. At the meeting, the RVĽPaRR agreed that the topic of reproductive care and ensuring the right to health in the Slovak Republic would be the subject of an extraordinary meeting of the council, which will be devoted exclusively to these issues.

23.In this regard, the Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic takes note of the Committee’s recommendation and will give it due consideration in expert and legislative discussions, with a view to ensuring that legislative solutions in this area are in line with the recommendations of the World Health Organization and the international obligations of the Slovak Republic.