The Council of Europe is the most prominent human rights organization on the European continent. It was founded on May 5, 1949 and today includes 47 countries. The headquarters of the CoE are in Strasbourg, France.
The Council of Europe advocates fundamental values, such as the protection of human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
It has played a key role in the fight against death penalty and discriminations, while it has promoted the freedom of expression, the gender equality and the protection of minorities.
To date, the Council of Europe has achieved the adoption of a large number of legally binding European Conventions, which serve as the foundation for reform and harmonization of member-state legislation on a number of issues, including human rights, prevention of torture, fighting organized crime, data protection and cultural cooperation.
It has also contributed to drafting policy guidelines on legal, health, educational, cultural, sports and other issues.
