Founded on 5 May 1949, the Council of Europe is the oldest and largest organisation in Europe for the protection of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. The most important multilateral treaty within the Council of Europe is the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which was concluded in 1950. The nine founding nations of France, the United Kingdom[JH1] , Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Luxembourg have since been joined by 37 countries for a total of currently 46 members. The Council of Europe's main decision-making body is the Committee of Ministers, which is made up of the foreign ministers of the member States. The Council of Europe has its headquarters in Strasbourg, France.

Detailed information on the composition and structure of the organisation, the Council of Europe conventions, and the committees of experts can be found on the official website of the Liechtenstein Presidency of the Council of Europe.