Council of Europe

The Council of Europe has 46 member states, promotes human rights through various conventions, monitors compliance with those conventions and makes recommendations through monitoring bodies.

In 1950, the most important human rights document on the European continent was adopted, namely the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Unlike the UN human rights treaties, direct access to the courts is guaranteed here. An individual may, in fact, bring proceedings against a member state before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The ECHR primarily guarantees civil and political rights (such as the ICCPR at UN level): the right to life, the prohibition of torture, freedom of expression, etc.

The European Social Charter (ESC) was signed in 1961 and revised in 1996. The ESC, in turn, guarantees fundamental social and economic rights as a counterpart to the ECHR (such as the ICESCR at UN level): the right to education, work, social protection, etc. The European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) monitors compliance with the ESC through collective complaints submitted by the social partners and other non-governmental organisations, and through national reports drawn up by the contracting parties.

In 2011, the Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention) was adopted. The Istanbul Convention is the first legally binding international instrument to prevent and combat violence against women and girls at the international level. It establishes a comprehensive framework of legal and policy measures to prevent such violence, support victims and punish perpetrators. A group of experts in the field of action against violence against women and domestic violence, the GREVIO Committee, monitors compliance with the Istanbul Convention.