A/HRC/44/51/Add.1 and the European Committee of Social Rights of the Council of Europe,5 as well as the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe.6 Some 600,000 people, mostly young and educated, have emigrated, which, coupled with a low birth rate, has resulted in Greece losing 3 per cent of its population between 2011 and 2016.7 4. The arrival of unprecedented numbers of migrants and refugees since 2015 8 has added to the stress already imposed on the limited human and material resources. 9 The Working Group recognizes that the challenges facing Greece today are many. 5. Due to deep-rooted stereotypes about the role of women in the family and in society, the austerity measures have had a disproportionate impact on women. According to the Gender Equality Index of the European Institute for Gender Equality, Greece is ranked at the lowest end among European Union countries.10 6. The visit of the Working Group took place at a moment of optimism, as the country emerged from the preceding period of austerity and embarked upon a new path of economic recovery. The Working Group is of the view that Greece has a unique opportunity to simultaneously drive progress on gender equality and women’s human rights while also strengthening its economy. The full and equal participation of women in the country’s recovery is essential and must be a priority. As an interlocutor highlighted, “gender equality is not a luxury for better times”. III. Legal, policy and institutional framework A. Ratification of international instruments and cooperation with international human rights mechanisms 7. Greece has ratified nearly all of the core international human rights treaties, including the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Optional Protocol thereto. Greece has shown a strong commitment to cooperating with United Nations human rights mechanisms, as evidenced by its issuing a standing invitation to the special procedures of the Human Rights Council in 2001. It has still not ratified the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. In June 2018, Greece took the important step of ratifying the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention), the first legally binding instrument providing a comprehensive prevention, protection, prosecution and support framework for combating gender-based violence against women. 5 6 7 8 9 10 4 Council of Europe, European Committee of Social Rights, “Activity report 2015”. Available at https://rm.coe.int/CoERMPublicCommonSearchServices/DisplayDCTMContent?documentId=09000 016805ab9c7. Council of Europe, Commissioner for Human Rights, “Greece: progress in combating racism, but concerns remain about the impact of austerity”, 8 July 2016. Available at www.coe.int/en/web/commissioner/-/greece-progress-in-combating-racism-but-concerns-remainabout-the-impact-of-austerity. Hellenic Statistical Authority, Estimated population, 2019. Available at www.statistics.gr/en/statistics/-/publication/SPO18/-. Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Data Portal, Mediterranean situation. Available at https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/mediterranean/location/5179. At the time of the visit, the Working Group was informed that almost 5,000 migrants and refugees were housed in the Moria refugee camp. Subsequent reports indicated a huge increase in numbers. In his statement following his mission to Greece in November 2019, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reported that 16,100 asylum seekers were housed at the Moria reception centre – seven times over its capacity. See www.unhcr.org/news/press/2019/11/5ddfc2ea4/headunhcr-calls-urgent-response-overcrowding-greek-island-reception-centres.html. European Institute for Gender Equality, Gender Equality Index, Index score for Greece for 2019. Available at https://eige.europa.eu/gender-equality-index/2019/EL.