Council of Europe

In News 

• Recently, Russia announced that it formally left the Council of Europe.
•  In 1996, the Russian Federation joined the Council of Europe following the break-up of the Soviet Union a few years prior. 

What is the Council of Europe?

• About:
  • It  was founded in 1949 and its mission is to uphold human rights and the rule of law as part of the postwar order. 
  • It is a separate organisation from the 27-member EU. 
    • No country has joined the EU without first joining the Council of Europe. 
  • The Council of Europe works in close partnership with the European Union, and co-operates with the United Nations, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and with partner countries in its neighbourhood and worldwide.
  • Its group of constitutional experts, known as the Venice Commission, offers legal advice to countries throughout the world.
• Functions:
  • It advocates freedom of expression and of the media, freedom of assembly, equality, and the protection of minorities. 
  • It helps member states fight corruption and terrorism and undertake necessary judicial reforms. 
  • It promotes human rights through international conventions, such as the Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence and the Convention on Cybercrime.
  •  It monitors member states’ progress in these areas and makes recommendations through independent expert monitoring bodies. Council of Europe member states no longer apply the death penalty.

Source:TH