Council of Europe

OUR WORK AT THE COUNCil of Europe

The Council of Europe (CoE), based in Strasbourg (France), comprises 46 member states across Europe and is an international organisation independent of the European Union. Founded on 5 May 1949, the CoE seeks to create a common democratic and legal area throughout the continent, based on human rights, democracy and the rule of law. Its member states are bound by the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR).

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) is an international court set up in 1959. Through its binding judgments, it rules on individual or State applications alleging violations of the rights set out in the ECHR.

Amnesty International works with the Council of Europe to raise concerns about human rights violations in its member states. We call for the enforcement of existing standards and judgements and advocate for concrete action to implement human rights and remedy violations. To do that, we work with institutions and bodies which monitor human rights, including the Secretary General, the Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) and the Commissioner for Human Rights.

The European Institutions Office (EIO) has contributed to the drafting of numerous human rights standards and treaties including the Council of Europe’s Convention on Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence, the negotiations on the reform of the Court, and the discussions on the accession of the EU to the European Convention of Human Rights.