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This brochure highlights, in a colourful way, the Council of Europe's main fields of activity of special interest to young people. Additional features include a map of 47 member states, the national flags, capitals and dates of accession to the Council of Europe of each country.
Citation preview
47 states and oneorganisation...
...the Council of Europe
“The Council of Europe, whose goal has always been greater unity between Europe’s demo-cracies, was founded on certain basic values – democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
Peace and democracy are things we can never take for granted. It is up to today’s youngpeople to protect and promote them.
The Council of Europe enables young people to find out for themselves what democracy andcitizenship mean, helps them care about freedom and justice, and teaches them to respectother people and the things which make them different.”
Terry DavisSecretary General of the Council of Europe
Freedom, respect and justice -
key values for Europe
CONSEILDE L'EUROPE COUNCIL OF EUROPE
Finding out about the Council of Europe
BBuuiillddiinngg GGrreeaattee
rr EEuurrooppee
oonn sshhaarreedd vvaalluu
eess –– aa ffeeww
kkeeyywwoorrddss::
human rights
liberty
equality
social rights
justice
democracy
tolerance
respect
diversity
TThhee CCoouunncciill ooff EEuurrooppee iiss ttrryyiinngg ttoo ccoommee
uupp wwiitthh tthhee aannsswweerrss oouurr ssoocciieettiieess nneeeedd
ttooddaayy oonn::
racismdiscrimination against minoritieschild welfaresocial exclusionterrorismorganised crime and corruptiondrug addictionbioethics and cloningprotection of the environment
✎✎ YYoouurr ccoouunnttrryy iiss iinn tthhee CCoouunncciill ooff EEuurrooppee –– wwhhiicchh mmaakkeess yyoouu ppaarrtt ooff aa
vvaasstt ffaammiillyy ooff nnaattiioonnss,, ssttrreettcchhiinngg aallll tthhee wwaayy ffrroomm IIcceellaanndd ttoo AAzzeerrbbaaiijjaann..
IInn tthhaatt aarreeaa tthheerree aarree mmiilllliioonnss ooff ootthheerr yyoouunngg ppeeooppllee wwiitthh eexxppeerriieenncceess aanndd
iinntteerreessttss ssiimmiillaarr ttoo yyoouurrss,, bbuutt wwiitthh ccoommpplleetteellyy ddiiffffeerreenntt ccuullttuurreess..
What is the Council of Europe?The Council of Europe is an intergovernmental political organisation, which was founded in 1949 and has 47member states. Its job is to guarantee democracy, human rights and justice for Europeans everywhere.The Council’s approach is based on co-operation and dialogue between the four official bodies it comprises:the Committee of Ministers, the Parliamentary Assembly, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities ofthe Council of Europe, and the European Court of Human Rights.
u
t
ne
€Budget: The Council of Europe’s work is fundedby its member states, whose contributions aredetermined by their population and wealth. Thebudget for 2007 comes to 197,2 million euros.
vThe Committee of Ministers is the Council of Europe’s decision-making body.The ministers concerned are the member states’ foreign ministers, who meettwice a year, while their permanent representatives in Strasbourg meet at leastonce a month. The Committee decides Council of Europe policy, draws up the workprogramme, and discusses proposals put to it by the Parliamentary Assembly andthe Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe. Its policydecisions are embodied in European conventions or agreements and recommen-dations to the member states.
The Parliamentary Assembly is the Council of Europe’s deliberative body (i.e.it discusses texts for adoption) and the driving force behind it. It has 636 members(318 representatives and 318 substitutes) drawn from the forty-seven memberparliaments and the guest delegations of non-member states. The politicalcomposition of each delegation reflects the balance in its home parliament. TheAssembly holds four yearly sessions in Strasbourg and a spring session in amember state. Its recommendations to the Committee of Ministers are behindmany of the Council of Europe’s achievements, and its debates play a major partin shaping the Organisation’s policy.
The Council of Europe’s
q q✎✎ TThhee CCoouunncciill ooff EEuurrooppee iiss,, aabboovvee aallll,, aa ssttrruuccttuurree wwhhiicchh ccaann
bbee uusseedd ttoo ttaacckkllee ssppeecciiffiicc pprroobblleemmss hheeaadd--oonn aanndd eeffffeeccttiivveellyy..
structures at a glance
Keeping pace with progressChange and innovation are important features of the social, scientificand cultural life in Europe today. However, with these changes alsocome dangers. The Council of Europe tackles these dangers bycoming up with rules and conventions to protect Europeans, as wellas adjusting its own priorities where necessary.Conventions are vital legal instruments – international treatiesbinding states to co-operate in specific areas – and the Counciluses them to make life better for Europeans everywhere.
Deciding and doingThe Council of Europe’s work relies on texts agreed between its member states – conventions,recommendations, etc. – which are used to put its ideas into practice.
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities ofthe Council of Europe is the voice of local and regionaldemocracy. Its 318 representatives and 318 substitutesspeak for local and regional authorities in the member states.It has two chambers – one for local and one for regionalauthorities – and holds annual plenary sessions inStrasbourg. Its aim is to strengthen democratic structuresat local level, particularly in the new democracies.
The Council of Europe’s current Secretary General isTerry Davis (United Kingdom), elected in 2004 for a five-year term. He determines the direction of its activities andleads its 2000 staff.
q
Human rights
✎✎ IIff tthhee CCoouunncciill ooff EEuurrooppee iiss ffaammoouuss ffoorr aannyytthhiinngg,, iitt iiss ffaammoouuss ffoorr iittss wwoorrkk oonn hhuummaann
rriigghhttss..
Defending human rights, and trying every day to do it better, is one of the Council of Europe’s prime functions. This is what makesthe European Convention on Human Rights, adopted in 1950, so important. Its unique protection system covers the individualrights of some 800 million Europeans.
If you feel that a right guaranteed you by the European Convention on Human Rights has been violated, you can take your complaintto the European Court of Human Rights. But you must try to get justice in your own country first, using all the remedies its legalsystem provides for that purpose.
CChhiieeff aammoonngg tthhee rriigghhttss pprrootteecctteedd bbyy tthhee CCoonnvveennttiioonn aarree::
● the right
to life
● the right to
freedom
and security
● the right
to a fair
trial
● respect
for
family life
d
c
● freedom
of thought,
conscience and
religion
une
in action
TThhee EEuurrooppeeaann SSoocciiaall CChhaarrtteerrpprrootteeccttss tthhee ffoolllloowwiinngg rriigghhttss,,aammoonngg ootthheerrss::
● the right to work● the right to vocational guidance● freedom from discrimination
at work● prohibition of forced labour● the right to organise (trade unions)● equality between women and men● protection against poverty and
social exclusion
? q q
q
TThhee EEuurrooppeeaann CCoouurrtt ooff HHuummaann RRiigghhttss,, which is permanently based in
Strasbourg, has one judge for every member state. Judges sit in a personal
capacity, and not as their countries’ representatives. Applications to the Court
are initially examined by a panel of three judges, which decides whether they
are admissible. The Court sits as a seven-member chamber on most cases,
and as a grand chamber of seventeen judges on special ones.
The Commissioner for Human Rights is responsible for promotinghuman rights education and awareness, and ensuring that the memberstates respect the Council of Europe’s standards.
The European Convention against Torture protects the rights of prisoninmates, minors in special education centres, people in police or militarycustody, patients in mental institutions, etc. The members of theEuropean Committee against Torture (CPT) carry out inspections in themember states to ensure that prisoners’ rights are respected – and par-ticularly to guard against torture or degrading treatment.
The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance engagesin ongoing dialogue with national authorities, assessing the quality ofmember states’ anti-racist policies.
Education - key to your
✎✎ DDeemmooccrraattiicc cciittiizzeennsshhiipp,, hhuummaann rriigghhttss,, ttoolleerraannccee aanndd mmuuttuuaall rreessppeecctt -- tthheessee aarree jjuusstt
ssoommee ooff tthhee iissssuueess ccoovveerreedd iinn tthhee mmaannyy eedduuccaattiioonnaall pprrooggrraammmmeess tthhee CCoouunncciill ooff EEuurrooppee rruunnss
iinn iittss mmeemmbbeerr ssttaatteess..
Education for democraticcitizenshipTo live in the community, peopleneed to know their rights, face upto their responsibilities and acceptthat others are different.
The education for democraticcitizenship project helps them toapply these vital principles.
q
✎✎
● to improve
and promote ed
ucation for
everyone
● to publicise
experimental
schemes, ideas and
research pro
jects
● to promote ed
ucational li
nks and exch
anges
between member st
ates
● to secure re
cognition of
diplomas bet
ween
countries
● to disseminate
information
Goals
future! marugLLaanngguuaaggeess ffoorr eevveerryyoonnee
The Council of Europe helps its memberstates to set up new language programmesand encourages new approaches to languageteaching and teacher training.Its work in this area is co-ordinated by theModern Languages Division and theEuropean Centre for Modern Languages inGraz (Austria).
Over 200 languages
European Language Day (26 September)helps to focus public attention on themany languages spoken in Europe(over 200!) and the value of this richlinguistic heritage. It also serves toemphasise the importance of life-longlearning.
TTeeaacchhiinngg EEuurrooppeeaann hhiissttoorryy
The Council of Europe has produced a seriesof books on teaching history in Europe, givingteachers ideas for research and the class-room – plus a new approach to teaching thehistory of the twentieth century – the aimbeing to make pupils “feel European”, whilestaying open to the rest of the world.
q
rr r
Secondary school exchanges
Under this programme, uppersecondary pupils can receive grantsto cover three months’ study inanother European country. East-Westcontacts are particularly encoura-ged, and cultural exchange is theunderlying concept.
EExxppoorrttiinngg yyoouurr ddiipplloommaass
If you want to work abroad, then you need tobe sure your diplomas will be recognised.Equivalence is the key concept here, andthe Council of Europe works to make sure itis respected.
Flags, dates of accession,
member states and capitals
1949
5 M
ay
Bel
gium
, B
russ
els
Den
mar
k, C
open
hage
n
Fran
ce,
Par
is
Irel
and,
Dub
lin
Italy
, R
ome
Luxe
mbo
urg,
Lux
embo
urg
Nor
way
, O
slo
Net
herla
nds,
Am
ster
dam
Uni
ted
Kin
gdom
, Lo
ndon
Sw
eden
, S
tock
holm
9 A
ugust
Gre
ece,
Ath
ens
Turk
ey,
Ank
ara
1950
7 M
arc
h
Icel
and,
Rey
kjav
ik
13 J
uly
Ger
man
y, B
erlin
1956
16 A
pri
l
1991
26 N
ove
mber
Pol
and,
War
saw
1992
7 M
ay
Bul
garia
, S
ofia
1993
14 M
ay
Est
onia
, Tal
linn
Lith
uani
a, V
ilniu
s
Slo
veni
a, L
jubl
jana
30 J
une
Cze
ch R
epub
lic,
Pra
gue
Slo
vak
Rep
ublic
, B
ratis
lava
7 O
ctober
Rom
ania
, B
ucha
rest
1994
10 N
ove
mber
And
orra
, And
orra
-la-V
ella
1995
10 F
ebru
ary
Latv
ia,
Rig
a
13 J
uly
Alb
ania
, Tira
na
Mol
dova
, C
hisi
nau
Aus
tria
, Vie
nna
1961
24 M
ay
Cyp
rus,
Nic
osia
1963
6 M
ay
Sw
itzer
land
, B
ern
1965
29 A
pri
l
Mal
ta, V
alle
tta
1976
22 S
epte
mber
Por
tuga
l, Li
sbon
1977
24 N
ove
mber
Spa
in,
Mad
rid
1978
23 N
ove
mber
Liec
hten
stei
n, V
aduz
1988
16 N
ove
mber
San
Mar
ino,
San
Mar
ino
1989
5 M
ay
Fin
land
, H
elsi
nki
1990
6 N
ove
mber
Hun
gary
, B
udap
est
9 N
ove
mber
Ukr
aine
, K
iev
“The
form
er Y
ugos
lav
Rep
ublic
of M
aced
onia
»,
Sko
pje
1996
28 F
ebru
ary
Rus
sian
Fed
erat
ion,
Mos
cow
6 N
ove
mber
Cro
atia
, Z
agre
b
1999
27 A
pri
l
Geo
rgia
, Tbi
lisi
2001
25 J
anuar
y
Arm
enia
, Yer
evan
Aze
rbai
jan,
Bak
u
2002
24 A
pri
l
Bos
nia
and
Her
zego
vina
, S
araj
evo
2003
3 A
pri
l
Ser
bie,
Bel
grad
e*
2004
5 O
ctober
Mon
aco,
Mon
aco
2007
11 M
ay
Mon
tene
gro,
Pod
goric
a
* T
his
mem
ber
stat
e ac
cede
d or
igin
ally
as
Ser
bia
and
Mon
tene
gro
until
Jun
e 20
06.
Nature and culture – many-sided heritage
✎✎ EEuurrooppee’’ss ccuullttuurraall aanndd nnaattuurraall ttrreeaassuurreess aarree iimmmmeennssee aanndd vvaarriieedd,, aanndd eevveerryy ccoouunnttrryy mmuusstt ddoo
iittss bbiitt ttoo pprrootteecctt tthheemm.. TThhee CCoouunncciill ooff EEuurrooppee ccoonnttrriibbuutteess bbyy pprroommoottiinngg tthhee ccoonnttiinneenntt’’ss mmaannyy
nnaattiioonnaall ccuullttuurreess..
Europe on-screenEurimages is the Council of Europe’s support fund for films whichreflect the many facets of European society. It has 32 contributing statesand a budget of some 20 million euros.
Cultural heritage – it belongs to all of usTwin conventions on Europe’s architectural and archaeologicalheritage serve as a basis both for consolidating policies to protectthem and for making those policies more effective. They also providea legal framework for international co-operation.
Open-door heritageThe Council of Europe is behind the “European Heritage Days”scheme. Every September, over the space of a weekend, millions ofEuropeans are given a chance to visit countless museums, libra-ries, palaces, castles and monuments free of charge.
Protecting natureThe Bern Convention (Convention on theConservation of European Wildlife and NaturalHabitats) is designed to:
put a stop
to illegal
trading in
animals
protect
endangered
plant and
animal
species
prevent
protected
species from
disappearing
preserve
natural
habitats
Biodiversity is the scientists' word for the rich variety oflife-forms which surround us. Europe’s biological andlandscape diversity is increasingly at risk, and theCouncil of Europe’s Pan-European Biological andLandscape Diversity Strategy is designed to tacklethe dangers.
k aa
aa
a
ll
z
oHealth education for young peopleThe Council of Europe is concerned with young people’s health, andencourages pupils, parents and teachers to work together to promote heal-th in schools. The European Network of Health Promoting Schools(ENHPS) now covers close on forty countries and 400 000 schoolchildren.
A strategy for social cohesion
● to guarantee social protection● to fight exclusion and discrimination● to protect marginalised and vulnerable groups ● to promote equal opportunity
Preventing drug addiction
The Pompidou Group has been fighting against drug abuse andtrafficking since 1980. It is the main co-ordinating forum for action inEurope to put a stop to both. It has 34 member states and its aims are:
w
Health and social protection✎✎ TThhee CCoouunncciill ooff EEuurrooppee hhaass ttaakkeenn aa wwhhoollee rraannggee ooff mmeeaassuurreess ttoo pprrootteecctt hheeaalltthh aanndd ttoo
pprroommoottee ssoocciiaall ccoohheessiioonn aanndd ssoocciiaall rriigghhttss..
Security and ethics
The European Pharmacopoeia laysdown binding standards to ensure opti-mum quality of medicines and pharma-ceutical products in all the member states.
The Council of Europe has publishedguidelines on safety and standards in theorgan transplant field. It is also workingon xenotransplantation – the transferof animal organs and tissues to humans.
ed
l
u HHeeaalltthh –– aa ffaaccttoorr ffoorr
ssoocciiaall ccoohheessiioonn
● preventing
addiction
● reintegrating
addicts into
the community
● studying
the social
impact of addict
ion
✎✎ FFoorr mmiilllliioonnss ooff EEuurrooppeeaannss,, ssppoorrtt mmeeaannss hheeaalltthh aanndd eenntteerrttaaiinnmmeenntt –– bbuutt iitt ccaann aallssoo
tteeaacchh yyoouunngg ppeeooppllee aa lloott aabboouutt tteeaammwwoorrkk,, ttoolleerraannccee aanndd ffaaiirr ppllaayy.. TThhiiss iiss tthhee ttrruuee
ssppoorrttiinngg ssppiirriitt,, aanndd ttoolleerraannccee aanndd rreessppeecctt hhoolldd tthhee kkeeyy ttoo tthhee CCoouunncciill ooff EEuurrooppee’’ss wwoorrkk
iinn tthhiiss aarreeaa..The Committee for the Development of Sport (CDDS) prepares conventions and devises programmes to monitor sport, and it also organisesconferences of the member states’ sports ministers.
Violence and sport don’t mix
The aim of the European Convention onSpectator Violence and Misbehaviour atSports Events is to keep spectators undercontrol, particularly at football matches.
● keeping rival fans apart● controlling ticket sales● controlling alcohol consumption● making organisers accept more
responsibility● stepping up security● modifying stadiums to protect spectator
safety
Specifically, it recommends:
No doping!
The Anti-Doping Convention lists forbiddendrugs and medicines. Specifically, it providesfor tighter doping controls and better screeningtechniques.
The Council of Europe was also involved insetting up an anti-doping agency to monitorcompliance with the rules, the aim being to:
● stop doping● bring in better screening tests● make the public aware of the dangers
of doping● punish offenders
Sport for all
Sport without violence
““SSppoorrtt ffoorr AAllll””
The European Sport for All Charter and Code of Sports Ethicsstress the importance of fair play in sport – of respecting one’sopponent, win or lose, and never resorting to violence or cheating.
Sprint is a support programme for the setting-up of sportsstructures, and covers:
● sports law● loans● training of managers● promotion of sports activities
The Council of Europe works on other sport-related projects too including:
● action to promote tolerance and the sporting spirit● the setting-up of sports facilities● anti-discrimination measures● action to publicise the health and other
benefits of sport● sport and economics
l ll
Personal well-being
Respect
Tolerance
Sportingspirit
EEuurrooffiittPhysical education
= health
A battery of physicalaptitude assessmenttests for children andadolescents.
q
Young Europeans – bringing them u✎✎ TThhee CCoouunncciill ooff EEuurrooppee wwaannttss ttoo mmaakkee iitt eeaassiieerr ffoorr yyoouunngg ppeeooppllee ttoo ttrraavveell,, ddiissccoovveerr tthheeiirr
ccoonnttiinneenntt’’ss ccuullttuurraall ddiivveerrssiittyy,, mmeeeett aanndd jjooiinn iinn eexxpplloorriinngg tthhee iiddeeaallss aanndd vvaalluueess wwhhiicchh mmaakkee
ffoorr aa ddeemmooccrraattiicc ssoocciieettyy..
These activities are funded by the European Youth Foundation (EYF), which has an annualbudget of some 3 million euros.
gTwo European Youth Centres - Strasbourg and Budapest
Throughout the year, these centres run courses for youthassociation leaders, giving them a chance to meet anddiscuss the rights of the young, social exclusion,unemployment, international solidarity and countless othertopics that young people care about.
Wide-ranging activities:training courses, study sessionsintercultural language coursesseminars, symposiums, meetings of experts
Action priorities
● promoting intercultural
dialogue and peace
● human rights
education, action to
promote human dignity
and social cohesion
● participation by
young people and
democratic citizenship
● measures to increase
young people’s
geographical mobility
v
together
Youth policiesThe European Steering Committee for Youth comprisesrepresentatives of the 49 states which have signed theEuropean Cultural Convention. Its aim is to:
● advise and help young Europeans● serve as a basis for research in the youth sector● help young people to find their place in the community
participation
intercultural dialoguemobility
peacehuman rightsx
Europe by rail
The Council of Europe and the International Union of Railways(UIC) have got together and set up a fund to make traveleasier for disadvantaged young people. This covers freetravel for youth project participants who could not otherwiseafford to join in. The scheme is funded by a one-euro levy onevery Inter-Rail card (for under-26s).
respect, solidarity, justice, toleranceThe “Young Active Citizens” Prize
A special prize for innovational projects aimed at involvingyoung people in local and regional life was introduced in2002. This year, the theme of the Award is "Diversity,human rights and participation".
Youth Card
The Youth Card scheme, jointly launched by the Council ofEurope and the European Association of Youth Cards(AECJ) offers under-26s concessions on travel and a widerange of goods and services.
TTeexxtt:: Directorate of Communication
DDeessiiggnn:: The Big Family, Strasbourg
IIlllluussttrraattiioonnss:: Frédérique Cmolik
PPrroodduucceedd bbyy:: Documents and Publications
Production Department
Printed in July 2007
gMagazine"Coyote" n°5
CD-ROM “The European Convention onHuman Rights – Starting Points
for Teachers”
Educational fact sheets “Europe is more than you
think”
Kids’ brochure “The Council of Europe with
Sue and Max”
Magazine "Naturopa" n°97
Leaflet"Education for democratic
citizenship"
Youth Brochure“Young people buildingEurope – Participation,
peace and human dignity”
Youth Leaflet“Young people buildingEurope – Participation,
peace and human dignity”
Educational fact sheets “The European Convention onHuman Rights – Starting Points
for Teachers”
Leaflet" The Council of Europe
at a glance "
Leaflet“The Council of Europe
in Strasbourg”
For more info...
www.coe.int
CONSEILDE L'EUROPE COUNCIL OF EUROPE
www.coe.intFor more information on the Council of Europe see:
http://www.coe.intE-mail: [email protected]
Council of Europe Publishing:http://book.coe.int