The Council of Europe is an international organization of 47 member states in the European region (with Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkey, Georgia and Cyprus also extending into Western Asia and Russia into North Asia). With the exception of Belarus and Kazakhstan all European states have acceded to the Council of Europe. Canada, Japan, Mexico, the USA and the Holy See have Observer Status with the Council of Europe and the parliaments of Canada, Israel and Mexico have observer status with its Parliamentary Assembly. NGOs can participate in the INGO Conference of the Council of Europe. Image File history File links European_flag. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The European flag consists of a circle of twelve golden stars on a blue background. ... An anthem is a choral composition to an English religious text sung in church services. ... Composer Ludwig van Beethoven The Symphony No. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1357x628, 27 KB) Summary Council of Europe membership Key Dark green: ten original members Light green: joined subsequently Yellow: observer at the Parliamentary Assembly Orange: observer at the Committee of Ministers Red: official candidate Licensing I, the creator of this work... City flag City coat of arms Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country France Region Alsace Department Bas-Rhin (67) Intercommunality Urban Community of Strasbourg Mayor Fabienne Keller  (UMP) City Statistics Land area¹ 78. ... World map showing the location of Europe. ... Secretaries General of the Council of Europe: Terry Davis of the United Kingdom, in office since 1 September 2004 Walter Schwimmer of Austria, 1 September 1999 to 31 August 2004 Daniel Tarschys of Sweden, 1 June 1994 to 1 September 1999 Catherine Lalumière of France, 1 June 1989 to... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... The Commissioner for Human Rights is an independent institution within the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe, mandated to promote the awareness of and respect for human rights in member states. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Sweden. ... Thomas Hammarberg (born 1942 in Örnsköldsvik) is a Swedish diplomat and human rights activist. ... May 5 is the 125th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (126th in leap years). ... 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1949 calendar). ... An international organization, or more formally intergovernmental organization (IGO), is an organization, such as the European Community or the WTO, with sovereign states or other IGOs as members. ... World map showing the location of Europe. ... A map showing Southwest Asia - The term Middle East is more often used to refer to both Southwest Asia and some North African countries Southwest Asia, or West Asia, is the southwestern part of Asia. ... Regions of Asia:  Northern Asia  Central Asia  Western Asia  Southern Asia  Eastern Asia  Southeastern Asia North Asia or Northern Asia is a subregion of Asia. ...

Its most enduring legacy is the European Convention on Human Rights, adopted in 1950, which serves as the basis for the European Court of Human Rights. English and French are its two official languages, but its Committee of Ministers and its Parliamentary Assembly also work in German, Italian and Russian. The Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, also known as the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), was adopted under the auspices of the Council of Europe[1] in 1950 to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms. ... European Court of Human Rights building in Strasbourg The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), often referred to informally as the Strasbourg Court, was created to systematise the hearing of human rights complaints against States Parties to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, adopted by... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... An official language is a language that is given a unique legal status in the countries, states, and other territories. ...

The seat of the Council of Europe is in Strasbourg on the Franco-German border. Originally meeting in Strasbourg's University Palace, it is domiciled in the Palace of Europe about two kilometres from city centre. Membership is open to all European democracies which accept the principle of the rule of law and are able and willing to guarantee fundamental human rights and freedoms. City flag City coat of arms Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country France Region Alsace Department Bas-Rhin (67) Intercommunality Urban Community of Strasbourg Mayor Fabienne Keller  (UMP) City Statistics Land area¹ 78. ... Motto: Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité Liberty, Equality, Fraternity Anthem: La Marseillaise Metropolitan France() – on the European continent() – in the European Union()  —  [] Capital (and largest city) Paris Official languages French Government Unitary republic  -  President Jacques Chirac  -  Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin Formation  -  Celtic Gaul 1200 BC   -  Franks 11 BC   -  Kingdom of France... The University Palace in Strasbourg, and a monument to one of the universitys students, Johann Wolfgang Goethe The University of Strasbourg in Strasbourg, Alsace, France, is divided into three separate institutions. ... The Palace of Europe (German: , French: , Spanish: ) is the seat of the Council of Europe, located in Strasbourg, Alsace, France. ... The rule of law is the principle that governmental authority is legitimately exercised only in accordance with written, publicly disclosed laws adopted and enforced in accordance with established procedure. ... Human rights are rights which some hold to be inalienable and belonging to all humans. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

The Council of Europe should not be confused with the Council of the European Union or the European Council, as it is a separate organization and not part of the European Union. The Justus Lipsius building, the headquarter of the EU Council in Brussels The Council of the European Union (German: Rat der Europäischen Union, French: Le Conseil de lUnion européenne), is a governing body that forms, along with the European Parliament, the legislative arm of the European Union... The European Council, informally called the European summit, is a meeting of the heads of state or government of the European Union, and the President of the European Commission. ...

Founding

Sir Winston Churchill is credited as having been one of the founders of the Council of Europe, because he was the first, in the wake of the events of World War II, to call publicly for the creation of a council of Europe working towards the "United States of Europe", similar to the United States of America, at his speech at the University of Zürich on 19 September 1946 (text of speech). Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC (Can) (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and author. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The United States of Europe is a name given to one version of the hypothetical unification scenarios of Europe, as a sovereign federation of states, similar to the United States of America, both as projected by writers of speculative fiction and by political scientists and politicians. ... The University of Zurich (in German: Universität Zürich) is the largest university of Switzerland, in the city of Zurich. ... September 19 is the 262nd day of the year (263rd in leap years). ... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ...

The Council was officially founded on 5 May 1949 by the Treaty of London, which established the Council of Europe. The Treaty of London was signed by ten states: Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Many states followed, especially after the democratic transitions in central and eastern Europe during the early 1990s.

Aims

This coin issued by the Central Bank of Armenia commemorates Armenia joining the Council of Europe (January 25,2001).

Article 1(a) of the Statute states: Image File history File links Hyesseurope. ... Image File history File links Hyesseurope. ...

The aim of the Council of Europe is to achieve a greater unity between its members for the purpose of safeguarding and realising the ideals and principles which are their common heritage and facilitating their economic and social progress.

The Council concentrates on the following areas:

• Protection of democracy and the rule of law through some 200 conventions and other treaties, including such leading instruments as the Convention on Cybercrime, the conventions on the suppression and prevention of terrorism, the conventions against corruption and organised crime, and the convention on bioethics
• Protection of human rights, notably:
  • Social rights, with the European Social Charter
  • Linguistic rights, with the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages
  • Media freedom, with the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Convention on Transfrontier Television
• Promotion of Europe's cultural identity and diversity, with the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities
• Monitoring member states' compliance with the European Convention on Human Rights and promoting human rights through the office of the Commissioner for Human Rights
• Addressing problems facing European society including discrimination, xenophobia, environmental degradation, AIDS, drugs and organised crime
• Encouraging democratic stability via reform.

The rule of law is the principle that governmental authority is legitimately exercised only in accordance with written, publicly disclosed laws adopted and enforced in accordance with established procedure. ... The Convention on Cybercrime is the first international treaty seeking to address Internet crimes by harmonizing national laws, improving investigative techniques and increasing cooperation among nations. ... Human rights are rights which some hold to be inalienable and belonging to all humans. ... The European Social Charter is a document signed by the members of the Council of Europe in Turin, 18 October 1961 in which they agreed to secure to their populations the social rights specified therein in order to improve their standard of living and their social well-being. ... // The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML) is a European treaty (CETS 148) adopted in 1992 under the auspices of the Council of Europe to protect and promote historical regional and minority languages in Europe. ... Freedom of the press (or press freedom) is the guarantee by a government of free public press for its citizens and their associations, extended to members of news gathering organizations, and their published reporting. ... The Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, also known as the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), was adopted under the auspices of the Council of Europe[1] in 1950 to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms. ... Cultural identity is the (feeling of) identity of a group or culture, or of an individual as far as she/he is influenced by her/his belonging to a group or culture. ... This page is a candidate to be moved to Wikisource. ... The Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, also known as the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), was adopted under the auspices of the Council of Europe[1] in 1950 to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms. ... Manifestations Slavery · Racial profiling · Lynching Hate speech · Hate crime · Hate groups Genocide · The Holocaust · Pogrom Ethnocide · Ethnic cleansing · Race war Religious persecution · Gay bashing Pedophobia · Ephebiphobia Movements Discriminatory Aryanism · Neo-Nazism · Supremacism Kahanism Ku Klux Klan Anti-discriminatory Abolitionism · Civil rights LGBT rights Womens/Universal suffrage · Feminism Mens... Look up xenophobia in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Environmental degradation refers to the diminishment of a local ecosystem or the biosphere as a whole due to human activity. ... Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS or Aids) is a collection of symptoms and infections resulting from the specific damage to the immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Organized crime is crime carried out systematically by formal criminal organizations. ...

Institutions

The Palace of Europe in Strasbourg

The institutions of the Council of Europe are: Download high resolution version (1039x597, 161 KB)Palace of Europe in Strasbourg, France. ... Download high resolution version (1039x597, 161 KB)Palace of Europe in Strasbourg, France. ... The Palace of Europe (German: , French: , Spanish: ) is the seat of the Council of Europe, located in Strasbourg, Alsace, France. ... City flag City coat of arms Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country France Region Alsace Department Bas-Rhin (67) Intercommunality Urban Community of Strasbourg Mayor Fabienne Keller  (UMP) City Statistics Land area¹ 78. ...

• The Secretariat and the Secretary-General
• The Committee of Ministers
• The Parliamentary Assembly (PACE)
• The Congress of local and regional authorities of Europe (Congress)
• The European Court of Human Rights
• The Commissioner for Human Rights

The CoE system also includes a number of autonomous structures known as "partial agreements". Among them: Secretaries-General of the Council of Europe 1949- Dr Lujo Toncic-Soninj 1969-1974 G Kahn-Ackermann 1974- F Karasck c. ... http://www. ... The Palace of Europe in Strasbourg The Council of Europe is an international organisation of 46 member states in the European region. ... The Congress of the Council of Europe The Congress of the Council of Europe is one of the institutions of the Council of Europe. ... European Court of Human Rights building in Strasbourg The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), often referred to informally as the Strasbourg Court, was created to systematise the hearing of human rights complaints against States Parties to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, adopted by... The Commissioner for Human Rights is an independent institution within the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe, mandated to promote the awareness of and respect for human rights in member states. ...

• The European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines
• The Pompidou Group - Cooperation Group to Combat Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in Drugs
• The European Commission for Democracy through Law, better known as the Venice Commission
• The Group of States Against Corruption (GRECO).

The Venice Commission is an advisory body of the Council of Europe, composed of independent members in the field of constitutional law. ... Council of Europe Flag: used by the Council of Europe The Council of Europe () is an international organization of 46 member states in the European region (with Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkey, Georgia and Cyprus also extending into Southwest Asia and Russia into North Asia). ...

Symbols

Main articles: European symbols and European flag

The Council of Europe is responsible for the notable European flag with 12 golden stars (upward pointing) arranged in a circle on a blue background since 1955, and the anthem based on the Ode to Joy in the final movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's Ninth symphony since 1972. In 1964, it established the anniversary of its founding on 5 May 1949 as Europe Day. (The EU has also designated a Europe Day, May 9; see European symbols.) It has been suggested that this article be split into articles entitled Europe Day and In varietate concordia, accessible from a disambiguation page. ... Flag Ratio: 2:3 The European flag consists of a circle of twelve golden stars on a blue background. ... Flag Ratio: 2:3 The European flag consists of a circle of twelve golden stars on a blue background. ... An anthem is a choral composition to an English religious text sung in church services. ... To Joy (An die Freude in German, in English often familiarly called the Ode to Joy rather than To Joy) is an ode written in 1785 by the German poet and historian Friedrich Schiller, known especially for its musical setting by Ludwig van Beethoven in the fourth and final movement... 1820 portrait by Joseph Karl Stieler Ludwig van Beethoven (IPA: ), (baptized December 17, 1770[1] – March 26, 1827) was a German composer. ... Composer Ludwig van Beethoven The Symphony No. ... May 5 is the 125th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (126th in leap years). ... 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1949 calendar). ... The Council of Europe (COE) has developed a series of European symbols for the continent of Europe, and these have since been shared with the European Union (EU). ... May 9 is the 129th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (130th in leap years). ... It has been suggested that this article be split into articles entitled Europe Day and In varietate concordia, accessible from a disambiguation page. ...

To avoid confusion with the European Union, which adopted the same flag, the Council often uses a modified version with a stylised lower-case 'e' in the centre of the stars which is referred to as the "Council of Europe Logo" [1].

Membership

Upon foundation on May 5, 1949 there were ten members: May 5 is the 125th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (126th in leap years). ... 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1949 calendar). ...

Subsequent members by date of admission:

The Parliament of Belarus held special guest status with the Parliamentary Assembly from September 1992 to January 1997, but this has been suspended as a consequence of the November 1996 constitutional referendum and parliament by-elections which the CoE found to be undemocratic, as well as limits on democratic freedoms such as freedom of expression (cf. Belarusian media) under the authoritarian regime of President Lukashenko. The constitution changed by the referendum "does not respect minimum democratic standards and violates the principles of separation of powers and the rule of law." [2]. Belarus applied for full membership on 12 March 1993 (still open). Freedom of speech is the right to freely say what one pleases, as well as the related right to hear what others have stated. ... Belarusian media, since the days when Belarus gained its independence, comprise state-owned and private newspapers and magazines, and state-owned radio and television. ... Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko (Russian: Алекса́ндр Григо́рьевич Лукаше́нко, Belarusian: Алякса́ндр Ры&#1075... March 12 is the 71st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (72nd in leap years). ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ...

Following its declaration of independence on 3 June 2006, Montenegro submitted a request to accede to (join) the Council of Europe. The Committee of Ministers transmitted the request to the Parliamentary Assembly for opinion, in accordance with the usual procedure. [3] Eleven days later, on 14 June, 2006, the Committee of Ministers declared that the Republic of Serbia would continue the membership of the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro. [4] June 3 is the 154th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (155th in leap years), with 211 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... Anthem Oj, svijetla majska zoro Oh, the bright dawn of May Montenegro() on the European continent()  —  [] Capital (and largest city) Podgorica Official languages Serbian (Ijekavian dialect)1 Government Republic  -  President Filip Vujanović  -  Prime Minister Željko Å turanović Independence due to the dissolution of Serbia and Montenegro   -  Declared June 3, 2006   -  Recognized... June 14 is the 165th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (166th in leap years), with 200 days remaining. ... Serbia and Montenegro  -Serbia    -Kosovo and Metohia    -Vojvodina  -Montenegro Official language Serbian1 Capital Belgrade Area  - Total  - % water 88,361 km² n/a Population  - Total (1998)  - Density 11,206,847 126. ... Serbia and Montenegro  â€“ Serbia    â€“ Kosovo and Metohia        (UN administration)    â€“ Vojvodina  â€“ Montenegro Official language Serbian language written in Cyrillic alphabet Capital Belgrade President Svetozar Marović Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % water Ranked 105th  102,350 km²  0. ...

Kazakhstan applied for observer status at the Parliamentary Assembly in 1999. The official response of PACE was that Kazakhstan could apply for full membership, because it is partially located in Europe, but that it would not be granted any status whatsoever at CoE until its democracy and human rights records improved. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is one of the institutions of the Council of Europe. ... Human rights are rights which some hold to be inalienable and belonging to all humans. ...

The Holy See has observer status at the Committee of Ministers since 1970. http://www. ...

Some non-European states also have observer status at Council of Europe institutions:

• Japan and the United States have observer status at the Committee of Ministers.
• Israel has observer status at the Parliamentary Assembly.
• Canada and Mexico have observer status at both the Committee of Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly.

http://www. ... The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is one of the institutions of the Council of Europe. ... http://www. ... The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is one of the institutions of the Council of Europe. ...

Membership of Germany and Saarland

In 1950, West Germany and Saarland became associate members. West Germany became a full member in 1951, while Saarland withdrew from its independent membership in 1956. Saarland was then reintegrated with West Germany in 1957. East Germany never became a member, but, following German reunification in 1990, its citizens gained representation.^[1] Saarland is one of the 16 states of Germany. ... GDR redirects here. ... The Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) and the German Democratic Republic (-_-)East Germany(-_-) German reunification (German: ) took place on October 3, 1990, when the areas of the former German Democratic Republic (GDR, in English commonly called East Germany) were incorporated into the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG...

References

See also

• Europe
• European Union
• Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
• Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
• European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages

World map showing the location of Europe. ... The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is an international organization for security. ... The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment, or CEF, is a guideline used to describe achievements of learners of foreign languages across Europe. ... // The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML) is a European treaty (CETS 148) adopted in 1992 under the auspices of the Council of Europe to protect and promote historical regional and minority languages in Europe. ...

External links

• Official site
• Statute of the Council of Europe
• Eurominority map of minorities, native peoples and ethnic groups
• European NAvigator Council of Europe
• Armenia, Azerbaijan join Council of Europe
• Cornish Bureau for European Relations - CoBER