Activities and Role of the Council of Europe

The Council of Europe’s sphere of work covers all aspects of European society except defence. Thus the Council’s working programme includes human rights, the media, cooperation in the field of law, social cohesion, health, education, culture, the maintenance of common heritage such as historic buildings, sports, youth, local democracy and cross-border cooperation, environment and regional planning.

Special priorities the Council of Europe has set itself in its current work include fostering respect for human rights, promotion of democratisation in the new democracies and providing assistance to help them achieve full freedom of opinion and information. It contributes to the actual realization of these essential aims by maintaining a local presence (e.g. offices established by the Council of Europe headed by representatives of the Secretary General, experts at the office of the human rights representative of the president of the Russian Federation for Chechnya, information centres) and monitoring compliance with the terms of accession through the Parliamentary Assembly, the Committee of Ministers and missions by members of the Parliamentary Assembly, as well as through visits by experts. This is supplemented by high-level visits by the Secretary General and the President of the Parliamentary Assembly.

The underlying idea behind the work undertaken by the Council of Europe is still to help establish general respect for its fundamental values by elaborating the relevant uniform legal basis. The European Conventions and Agreements worked out by the Council thus serve each Member State as a basis for harmonising and amending their own legislation. In its capacity as a source of legal instruments the Council of Europe is thus highly useful to the European Union, too. Some conventions and agreements are also open for adoption by non-member states. Moreover, the results of studies and activities are made available to governments and thus foster co-operation and social progress in Europe.

The Council of Europe also adopts Partial Agreements, a form of "variable geometry" co-operation, which allow the interested states to carry out a specific activity of common interest with the consent of other members.

The Council of Europe periodically organises conferences of specialised ministers (for justice, education, family affairs, health, environment, local authorities, migration, equality between women and men, labour, mass media, culture, sport, youth, etc.). These conferences analyse the major problems arising in their sectors and foster ongoing contact between ministries dealing with the same subjects in Member States. Projects to be implemented jointly are worked out, and activities for the Council`s work programme proposed.

By granting consultative status to over 400 non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the Council of Europe is building a real partnership with civil society representatives. NGOs are involved in intergovernmental activities through various consultation arrangements (including discussions and colloquies), and dialogue on major social issue is encouraged between members of parliament and private associations.