Council of Europe

Conseil de l’Europe

Established: By statute signed May 5, 1949, in London, England, effective August 3, 1949; structure defined by General Agreement signed September 2, 1949.

Purpose: To work for European unity by strengthening pluralist democracy and protecting human rights, seeking solutions to the problems facing European society, and promoting awareness of European cultural identity.

Headquarters: Strasbourg, France.

Principal Organs: Committee of Ministers, Parliamentary Assembly, Secretariat, Congress of Local and Regional Authority, the European Court of Human Rights, Commissioner for Human Rights, Conference of INGOs.

Website: www.coe.int.

Secretary-General: Thorbjørn Jagland (Norway).

Membership (47): Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, ...