Council of Europe

Description

The Council of Europe is an international organisation that works to uphold human rights, democracy and the rule of law across Europe.

All its member states have signed the European Convention on Human Rights, a treaty designed to protect human rights, democracy and the rule of law. The European Court of Human Rights oversees how the Convention is applied in member states, and people can bring a case there if they believe a state has violated their rights. The organisation also works through other conventions on topics such as cybercrime, corruption, trafficking in human beings, data protection, violence against women and the rights of national minorities.

It is governed by the Committee of Ministers, made up of the foreign ministers of member states, and the Parliamentary Assembly, made up of members of national parliaments. A Secretary General heads its secretariat, and a Commissioner for Human Rights promotes awareness of and respect for human rights in member states. It also runs bodies such as the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines and the European Audiovisual Observatory, and monitors elections and democratic reforms through its Venice Commission.

It was founded in 1949 by the Treaty of London and is Europe’s oldest intergovernmental organisation, distinct from the European Union. It represents 46 European member states and is an official United Nations observer. Its headquarters and the European Court of Human Rights are both based in Strasbourg, France.