Research Guides: Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs): Council of Europe

Council of Europe

The Council of Europe was established in the wake of WWII in reaction to German aggression and the Soviet take-over of Eastern Europe. It has four primary agencies:

the Committee of Ministers consists of the foreign ministers of the member states, is the decision-making body, and enforces the decisions of the ECtHR;
the Parliamentary Assembly consists of representatives of member states’ legislatures and is an advisory body;
the ECtHR adjudicates conflicts under the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.
and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities gives representation from cities and regions of the member states.

The UC Libraries do not collect COE documents systematically. Use UCLID to find out what is available and where. Search for Council of Europe as an author.

Council of Europe Treaties (full list) The text of all Council of Europe treaties, their explanatory reports, the status of signatures and ratifications, declarations and reservations made by States, as well as the notifications issued by the Treaty Office since 2000, are available on the website of the Council of Europe Treaty Office.
Council of Europe Partial Agreements (full list) Partial Agreements which are not international treaties but merely a particular form of co-operation within the Organization. Partial Agreements allow member States of the Council of Europe to abstain from participating in a certain activity advocated by other member States.
Decisions taken by the Committee of Ministers (CM/Del/Dec) If you want to know what action the Committee of Ministers (CM) has taken on a particular topic, start your search with the decisions adopted by the CM. The decisions contain links to the related adopted texts (for example, Recommendations, Resolutions …) and to the working documents which provide the background to the decision. Decisions include any texts adopted at a meeting of the Committee of Ministers.
Recommendations of the Committee of Ministers to member states (CM/Rec) Article 15.b of the Statute, provides for the Committee of Ministers to make recommendations to member states on matters for which the Committee has agreed "a common policy." Recommendations are not binding on member States. However, the Statute permits the Committee of Ministers to ask member governments "to inform it of the action taken by them" in regard to recommendations (Article 15.b).