Council of Europe: History, Structure, and Human Rights

Council of Europe: A Champion of Democracy and Human Rights

The Council of Europe is a regional, multilateral organization established in 1949 by the Treaty of London. It is headquartered in Strasbourg, France, and has 47 member countries. It is important to note that the Council of Europe is not an integration process.

Objectives

The Council of Europe's primary objectives are to promote freedom and create a democratic and legal area based on the principles outlined in the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Convention, established in 1950, is the Council's main achievement. Any country wishing to become a member must ratify it, organize free elections, abolish the death penalty, and guarantee the rule of law. It is the first instrument to give effect to certain rights stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and make them binding.

Historical Context

The Council's formation saw the involvement of various political perspectives, including Unionists (such as Churchill and De Gaulle), Federalists, and Functionalists.

Membership Expansion

Southern European countries like Spain and Portugal joined in the 1970s. Following the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, Eastern and Central European countries, including Russia, Hungary, Romania, Poland, and Ukraine, joined the Council. Montenegro was the last state to join in 2008. Belarus, Kazakhstan, and the Holy See are not members. Canada and the USA are observer states.

Key International Conventions

• Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention)
• Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention)

Main Organs

Committee of Ministers

The Committee of Ministers is the decision-making body, composed of the Foreign Affairs Ministers of the 47 member states. It directs the Council's policy and serves as a collective forum for developing solutions and responses to address their goals. Decisions require a two-thirds majority vote, while a simple majority is sufficient for administrative or procedural questions.

Parliamentary Assembly

The Parliamentary Assembly consists of representatives from the national parliaments of the member states. They represent the population of their respective countries, totaling around 800 million Europeans across the 47 member states. The Assembly has 324 members, with each country having between two and 18 representatives, depending on its population. It adopts three types of texts: recommendations (to the Committee of Ministers), resolutions, and opinions. A two-thirds majority is required for a draft recommendation or opinion to the Committee of Ministers.

Other Institutions

European Court of Human Rights

Established in 1959 and located in Strasbourg, France, the European Court of Human Rights ensures the protection of civil and political rights outlined in the European Convention on Human Rights. It secures fundamental civil and political rights for everyone within its jurisdiction, not just citizens.

Commissioner for Human Rights

The Commissioner for Human Rights is an independent, impartial, non-judicial institution established in 1999 by the Council of Europe. Its mission is to promote awareness of and respect for human rights in the 47 member states.

Congress of Local and Regional Authorities

Established in 1994, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities is a consultative body and pan-European political assembly. It comprises 648 members (324 titular and 324 alternate) representing local and regional authorities. Its objectives include improving local and regional governance, promoting self-government, fostering decentralization and regionalization processes, and facilitating transnational cooperation between cities and regions.