Protecting your rights ... protecting everyone's rights
The Council of Europe is the home of human rights. It created the European Convention on Human Rights to protect rights and political freedoms and set up the European Court to ensure that countries respect the rights of citizens.
Death penalty free
The Council of Europe has succeeded in creating a death penalty free zone in almost every country in Europe. Only Belarus, which is not a member state, still carries out executions.
All different, all equal
The Council of Europe protects against discrimination in all areas of life.
Torture belongs to the past
The Council of Europe has achieved greater respect for the human dignity of people detained by the police, in prison, psychiatric hospitals, or in migrant centres, and has significantly reduced the risk of torture or severe ill-treatment in police custody.
Making votes count
The Council of Europe has defined the standards for free and fair elections.
Rights for every moment of your day
The European Social Charterprotects fundamental social and economic rights such as employment, housing, health, education, social protection and welfare.
Fixing the gender gap
Council of Europe member states have pledgedto ensure balanced participation of women and men in political and public decision-making.
Justice for victims of human trafficking
The Council of Europe achieved recognition for victims of human trafficking.
Standing against violence to women
The Council of Europe led the way in preventing violence against women, protecting victims and prosecuting perpetrators.
Human trafficking: action on traffickers
Thanks to the Council of Europe, victims of human trafficking are protectedand traffickers and users of their services are punished.
Breaking the silence on child sex abuse
The Council of Europe created a momentum to break taboos surrounding sexual violence against children, making it obligatory to prevent and prosecute any sexual violence against a child and asserting the right of child victims of sexual violence to support and protection.
Patient access to medicines of same quality
The Council of Europe has improved access to quality medicines and health care for citizens thanks to the work of the European Pharmacopoeia.
Combating cybercriminals
Thanks to the Council of Europe, cyber-attacks against computer systems are criminalized and cooperation between agencies strengthened.
Children's rights everywhere!
The Council of Europe is working with its partners to ensure that justice systems, health care and social service providers have a more child-rights and child-centred approach, and is leading states to bring on board children's views and child participation at every level in all decision-making on issues that concern them.
Gay and Trans rights protected
The Council of Europe was the first to create an international legal text to combat discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity.
No more smacking in school - and no more smacking anywhere!
The Council of Europe put an end to corporal punishment in schools in Europe and leads the fight against corporal punishment of children in any setting.
Celebrating Roma culture
The Council of Europe set up the European Institute for Roma Arts and Culture in Berlin together with the Open Society Foundations and the Roma Leaders' initiative - the Alliance for the European Roma Institute.
Your right to health
In 1997 the Council of Europe set up the world's only legally binding convention to protect human rights in the field of biology and medicine, including daily medical practice, biomedical research, genetics and organ and tissue transplantation.
A first in protecting private data
Thirty years ago, the Council of Europe led the way in protecting privacy when personal data is processed with what is still the only binding international convention in the field with a potential worldwide remit.
Safety for children online
The Council of Europe adopted the first international text on protecting the rights of children in the digital environment.
A code for good governance
The Council of Europe set out a common vision of governance with the 12 Principles of Good Democratic Governance.
Kicking back on kickbacks
Thanks to the Council of Europe, bribes are no longer tax deductible.
The guardian of reproductive rights
Women won the right to end an unwanted pregnancy thanks to the Council of Europe.
A new start for refugees
The Council of Europe created the European Refugee Qualifications Passport - a special assessment scheme for refugees providing reliable information to help them integrate and find jobs, or gain admission to further studies, even if they cannot fully document their qualifications.
Making sport doping free
The Council of Europe created the first international convention against doping.
Together against terrorism
The Council of Europe has strengthened international co-operation to bring terrorists to justice.
Freedom through film
The Council of Europe promotes free artistic expression and cultural diversity by financing nearly 2000 co-produced cinema films through its Eurimages fund.
Fair play on the sport's pitch
The Council of Europe has pushed for better governance in sport to make it more ethical, more inclusive and safer.
Stop the fakes
A Council of Europe convention has criminalized threats to public health such as counterfeiting medical products.
Human Rights in every country
The Council of Europe worked to build and strengthen national human rights institutions and mechanisms that ensure the European Convention on Human Rights is applied in each country.
Celebrating difference
The Council of Europe created effective policies to integrate and manage cultural diversity in society - including a network of more than 150 "Intercultural Cities" around the World.
Boosting democracy's grassroots
The Council of Europe has championed civil society as an important pillar of democracy and supported its development.
Study abroad without problems
The Council of Europe made it possible for higher education diplomas to be recognised across borders.
Constitutional justice: rights recognised
The role of constitutional justice and constitutional courts in protecting fundamental rights and the rule of law is recognised thanks to the Council of Europe.
Bringing democracy home
The Council of Europe brought decision-making closer to citizens through the European Charter of Local Self-Government.
Hands across borders
The Council of Europe obtained better co-operation across national borders through a special agreement on transfrontier cooperation.
Reforming justice
The Council of Europe has offered targeted support through cooperation projects, leading to in-depth reforms.
A hand up for youth with problems
The Council of Europe has brought policy solutions to young people in situations of exclusion, discrimination and violence, particularly in multicultural disadvantaged neighbourhoods.
Stronger rules for commerce
Thanks to the Council of Europe, commercial companies may be subject to a criminal penalty.
Sending prisoners home
The Council of Europe made it possible for foreign prisoners to return to their country of origin to serve out the remainder of their sentence.
Learning human rights online
The Council of Europe offers 30 free online courses for legal professionals on data protection, asylum, hate speech, domestic violence, trafficking in human beings, justice adapted to children, labour rights, bioethics, sport and other topics.
Your nationality guaranteed
The Council of Europe established the right to a nationality and the elimination of statelessness.
A common age of majority
Eighteen is the age of majority throughout Europe thanks to the Council of Europe.
Ending bad conditions for prisoners
The Council of Europe has helped improve material conditions in many prisons, police stations, immigration detention centres and psychiatric establishments - some have been closed completely.
End to cruelty in psychiatric centres
Thanks to the Council of Europe, psychiatric patients are no longer placed in cage-like "net beds".
Spreading the word worldwide
The Council of Europe's Lisbon based Centre for Global Interdependence and Solidarity - more commonly known as the "North-South Centre" has spread universal values of human rights, democracy and the rule of law beyond the European continent since 1989.
More for young people
The Council of Europe has provided international financial and educational support for European youth activities through its European Youth Foundation since 1972.
Keeping democracy on track
Democratic control of how a state and its institutions function has been enhanced thanks to the Council of Europe's advisory and monitoring bodies.
Making young Europeans
The Council of Europe has helped shape generations of democracy and human rights-spirited young Europeans in the European Youth Centres in Strasbourg and Budapest.
Standing against organ trafficking
The Council of Europe has improved safeguards against trafficking in human organs.
A pioneer in nature protection
The Council of Europe created the Bern Convention, the first international treaty to protect wildlife and the natural environment and followed it with four others.
Getting the youth voice into politics
The Council of Europe has pioneered good governance and youth participation, bringing young people and government representatives together to take decisions within the co-management system.
A flag for Europe
The Council of Europe created the European flag in 1955 and adopted Beethoven’s ‘Ode to joy’ as the European anthem in 1972.
Leading the way on equality
Council of Europe action has led to progress in gender equality.
Human rights: the same everywhere.
There is a common understanding of human rights among member states thanks to the case law of the European Court of Human Rights and recommendations made by the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers.
Constitutions that respect democracy
Countries have adopted constitutions inspired by democratic standards, respect for human rights and the rule of law, assisted by the Council of Europe's Venice Commission.
Loving languages
The Council of Europe started the European Day of Languages to celebrate the rich mosaic of languages coexisting in Europe and encourage language learning.
Stopping ill treatment at every level
The Council of Europe has established and improved national protection mechanisms against ill-treatment and degrading treatment, and set up specialized investigation bodies in many states.
Education and exchange for lawyers
The Council of Europe provides a platform for professional exchanges on human rights both through intergovernmental committees and human rights education for legal professionals, and through a network of superior courts.
A tool to test your language skills.
The Council of Europe created the definitive tool that measures levels of language proficiency and tracks learners' progress. It's called the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
Exploring the past
The Council of Europe set up a European dimension for history teaching that enriches national approaches.
Routes to understand Europe
The Council of Europe established cultural routes to help Europeans better understand and appreciate their history and culture.
The best justice possible
The Council of Europe has set the standard for independence, quality and efficiency of judges and justice through the case law of the European Court of Human Rights and its specialized bodies.
No hiding place for criminals
Council of Europe treaties have promoted international cooperation to combat impunity for crimes. These include mutual legal assistance, extradition and transfer of proceedings.
Keeping politics clean
Thanks to the Council of Europe, the financing of politics is subject to transparency rules.
Bringing compassion to drug policies
Since 1980 the Council of Europe hosts the “Pompidou Group” of 40 member states to promote a human rights based approach to drug policies.
Investing in Europe
The Council of Europe Development Bank has financed 45 billion Euros of loans for social investment projects, fostering social cohesion and strengthening social integration in Europe since 1956.
Stopping animal suffering
A 1986 Council of Europe convention advanced animal protection by cutting the number of scientific experiments and limiting the number of animals used.