Objectives of the Organization:

The Council of Europe (CoE) aims to protect and strengthen human rights, the rule of law and pluralist democracy; seek solutions to societal problems; and combat racism, intolerance, and xenophobia.

Establishment:

5 May 1949

Headquarters:

Strasbourg

Secretary General:

Alain Berset

(As of 18 September 2024)

Member States (46 states):

Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Republic of Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, Ukraine, United Kingdom.

Observer States (5 states):

Canada, Japan, Mexico, United States of America, Vatican.

Membership Status of Türkiye:

Türkiye is a founding member of the Council of Europe.

History of the Organization:

The Council of Europe (CoE) was created with the aim of fostering reconciliation between peoples and establishing a climate of trust and cooperation in Europe after the destruction caused by World War II, through the establishment of common institutions, norms, and conventions. The CoE was founded in 1948 with the creation of the Committee of Ministers, representing governments, and the Consultative Assembly, which later became the “Parliamentary Assembly of the CoE”, representing the parliamentary branch. The Treaty of London, which established the CoE, was signed by ten European countries on 5 May 1949. The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which constitutes the cornerstone of the CoE, was opened to signature in Rome on 4 November 1950. Türkiye was among the first signatories of the ECHR.

The CoE has a comprehensive structure that facilitates cooperation among its member states at different levels, including the development, codification, and monitoring of norms, as well as political cooperation on issues covering almost all areas of life, with the exception of defense. In addition to its governmental, parliamentary, and local branches, the CoE includes a system of conventions comprising more than 200 conventions. It also has many monitoring mechanisms, starting with the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), the judicial body where all States Parties recognize the right to individual petition.

The democratization process that took place at the end of the Cold War in the former Eastern Bloc countries highlighted the political and legal effectiveness of the CoE on a European scale. The CoE quickly enlarged with the accession of Central and Eastern European countries undergoing democratic transitions. From the 2000s onwards, as globalization impacted the geopolitical landscape, a need to reform the CoE in order to more effectively respond to contemporary challenges arose: The first major step in this reform was the CoE Summit of Heads of State and Government held in Warsaw in 2005. The comprehensive reform process initiated thereafter was implemented to enhance the significance and relevance of the CoE’s work and contributions, as well as to strengthen its political visibility both locally and internationally.

After 18 years since then, the 4th Summit of Heads of State and Government, held in Reykjavik on 16-17 May 2023 under the Icelandic Chairmanship, focused on reaffirming the commitment to the democratic values underpinning European societies and on the importance and ever-more relevance of CoE's values in the face of new challenges.