Council of Europe facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Council of Europe Conseil de l'Europe
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Headquarters	Palace of Europe, Strasbourg, France
Official languages	English, French
Type	Regional intergovernmental organisation
Membership	46 member states 5 Council observers 3 Assembly observers
Leaders

• Secretary General	Alain Berset
• Deputy Secretary General	Bjørn Berge
• President of the Parliamentary Assembly	Theodoros Roussopoulos

Legislature	Parliamentary Assembly
Establishment

• Treaty of London	5 May 1949 (1949-05-05)

The Council of Europe (CoE) is an international group of countries that works to protect human rights, democracy, and the rule of law across Europe. It was founded in 1949, making it the oldest political organization on the continent. It has 46 member countries, representing about 675 million people.

It's important not to mix up the Council of Europe with the European Union (EU). They are two separate organizations. However, the EU did adopt the Council of Europe's flag (the blue flag with 12 gold stars) and anthem. A country must join the Council of Europe before it can join the EU.

The Council of Europe can't make laws that countries must follow. Instead, it creates international agreements, or treaties, that members can choose to sign. The most famous of these is the European Convention on Human Rights. To make sure these rights are protected, the Council created the European Court of Human Rights. Anyone in a member country can bring a case to this court if they believe their rights have been violated.

The Council's main headquarters is in Strasbourg, France. Its official languages are English and French.

A map showing the member states of the Council of Europe.

A Look Back: How the Council of Europe Started
- An Idea for Peace
- Growing and Welcoming New Members
What Does the Council of Europe Do?
How the Council of Europe is Organized
Who Are the Members?
- Observers and Partners
- Leaving the Council
Working with Other Groups
- The European Union
- The United Nations
Symbols of the Council
Images for kids
See also

A Look Back: How the Council of Europe Started

An Idea for Peace

After the terrible destruction of World War II, leaders in Europe wanted to make sure such a conflict never happened again. During the war, in 1943, Britain's Prime Minister Winston Churchill suggested creating a "Council of Europe." He believed it could help rebuild the continent and keep the peace.

After the war, hundreds of politicians and leaders met at the Congress of Europe in 1948 to discuss this idea. They wanted to create a "club of democracies" that would protect human rights and stand against governments that controlled every part of people's lives.

Some people wanted a group made of government representatives, while others wanted a forum for politicians from different parliaments. In the end, they did both. They created a Committee of Ministers (for governments) and a Parliamentary Assembly (for parliaments).

On May 5, 1949, ten countries signed the Treaty of London, officially creating the Council of Europe. The founding members were Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

Growing and Welcoming New Members

The Council of Europe quickly grew. One of its first acts was to welcome West Germany in 1951. This showed that the Council was focused on healing and reconciliation after the war.

Over the years, more countries joined as they embraced democracy.

Iceland (1950)
Austria (1956)
Cyprus (1961)
Switzerland (1963)
Malta (1965)
Portugal (1976)
Spain (1977), after its transition to democracy.

After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, many countries from Central and Eastern Europe also joined, helping the Council grow to the 46 members it has today.

What Does the Council of Europe Do?

The main goal of the Council of Europe is to create greater unity between its members. It does this by promoting its shared values and helping with social and economic progress. To join, a country must be European and must promise to protect democracy and human rights.

The Council of Europe's work focuses on several key areas.

Protecting Human Rights

This is the Council's most famous job. Its greatest achievement is the European Convention on Human Rights. This agreement protects basic rights like the right to a fair trial, freedom of speech, and the right to life.

The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is the highest court for human rights in Europe. It makes sure that member countries follow the rules of the Convention.

Other important work includes:

Preventing inhumane treatment.
Fighting against racism and intolerance.
Protecting children from harm.
Protecting personal data and privacy.
Fighting violence against women.

Supporting Democracy and Fairness

The Council helps its members build and maintain strong democracies. It does this by:

Sending observers to watch elections to make sure they are free and fair.
Helping countries with legal reforms through a special group called the Venice Commission.
Fighting against corruption in government and organized crime.
Giving local governments more independence through the European Charter of Local Self-Government.

Promoting Culture and Education

The Council also works to protect Europe's rich cultural diversity. It encourages:

Cultural cooperation between countries.
The protection of minority languages.
Youth exchanges through its European Youth Centres.
Fair play in sports through its Anti-Doping Convention.
High standards for medicines through the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines.

How the Council of Europe is Organized

The Council of Europe has several main parts that work together.

The Secretary General is in charge of the daily work of the organization. They are elected for a five-year term.

The Committee of Ministers is the Council's main decision-making body. It is made up of the foreign ministers from all 46 member countries.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is like the Council's engine. It is made up of 306 members from the national parliaments of the member states. They debate important issues and make recommendations.

The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities represents local and regional governments. It helps promote democracy at the local level.

The European Court of Human Rights is made up of one judge from each member country. It makes final rulings on human rights cases.

The Commissioner for Human Rights is an independent person who travels to member countries to check on human rights situations and promote awareness.

The meeting room of the Council's Parliamentary Assembly.

Who Are the Members?

The Council of Europe has 46 member states. Most are in Europe, but some, like Turkey and Azerbaijan, are transcontinental (in both Europe and Asia).

Observers and Partners

Some non-European countries that share the Council's values can become observer states. This allows them to participate in some activities. The current observer states are Canada, the Holy See (Vatican City), Japan, Mexico, and the United States.

Leaving the Council

A country's membership can be suspended if it seriously violates the Council's principles of democracy and human rights.

In 2022, Russia was expelled from the Council of Europe. This happened after Russia began a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine. The Council decided that Russia's actions were a major violation of its rules. This was the first time a member state was expelled in this way.

Working with Other Groups

The Council of Europe often works with other major international organizations.

The European Union

As mentioned, the Council of Europe is separate from the European Union (EU). The EU focuses more on economic and political integration, while the Council focuses on human rights and democracy for a wider group of countries. The two organizations work together on many projects related to justice, education, and human rights. The EU plans to join the European Convention on Human Rights, which would mean it would also have to follow the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights.

The United Nations

The Council of Europe is an official observer at the United Nations (UN). This means it can participate in meetings of the UN General Assembly. The two organizations cooperate closely on issues like protecting minorities, fighting terrorism, and promoting human rights worldwide.

Symbols of the Council

The Council of Europe has two famous symbols that are now often seen as symbols for all of Europe.

The Flag of Europe was designed by the Council in 1955. It has a circle of 12 golden stars on a blue background. The number of stars is fixed at 12 and does not represent the number of members. The circle represents unity.

The Anthem of Europe has been used by the Council since 1972. The music is from the "Ode to Joy" theme in Ludwig van Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.

To avoid confusion with the European Union, the Council of Europe sometimes uses a special logo with a small "e" in the middle of the stars.

Images for kids

A plaque marking the first meeting of the Council of Europe Assembly at Strasbourg University.
A session of the Parliamentary Assembly in 1967. Willy Brandt, the German Minister for Foreign Affairs, is speaking.
Winston Churchill giving a speech at the Congress of Europe in The Hague in 1948, where the idea for the Council was discussed.
The European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines, one of the Council's expert bodies.
An aerial view of the Palace of Europe in Strasbourg, the main building of the Council.
The Agora building, one of the Council of Europe's modern buildings in Strasbourg.
A postage stamp from 1995 celebrating Albania joining the Council of Europe.