The Council of Europe [antikvár]

Terry Davis Secretary General of the Council of Europe The Council of Europe's primary goal is to achieve a greater unity between its 46 member states in safeguarding individual freedom, political liberty and the rule of law, principles which form the basis of all genuine democracy and which touch the lives of all Europeans in many different ways. All its member states are under an obligation to base government action on these principles. Since its creation in 1949, the Council of Europe has been a force for peace and co-operation, anchored in our common heritage, in human rights and democracy. With the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the spread of democratic values throughout Europe, the Organisation gained a new political dimension. Today, the Council of Europe embodies the shared commitment of some 800 million Europeans to human rights, democracy and the rule of law. This booklet gives an insight into the Council of Europe, what it is and how it works. It describes the role played by the key institutional bodies of our Organisation which work together to promote and consolidate security and democracy in Europe. This is a challenge for an Organisation whose central goal is unity in diversity for Europeans with a common heritage and equal rights.