Council of Europe is a regional international organization of European countries. Founder Act, Statute of the Council of Europe was signed on May 5th 1949 by ten European countries. Purpose of the Council of Europe is establishment of basic personal and democratic rights and freedom in Europe. Seat of the Council of Europe is in the Palace of Europe in Strasbourg on the border of France and Germany. Institutions of Council of Europe are:
Parliamentary AssemblyCongress of Local and Regional Governments Committee of Ministers General Secretariat and the Secretary Commissioner for Human Rights, andEuropean Court of Human Rights
Although the organization is supranational and European character, Council of Europe does not belong to institutions of European Union. Membership in the Council of Europe is not conditioned with membership in European Union, although 25 members of European Union are the members of Council of Europe.
For accomplishment of general aims, under the shelter of Council of Europe from 1949, more than 200 contracts of human and social rights, media, freedom of expression, education, culture, culture identity, cultural difference, sport, local autonomy, medicine, legal, regional and national cooperation were signed. Council of Europe numbers 47 members, and Bosnia and Herzegovina joined on April 24th 2002.
European Court of Human Rights – ECHR is one of the institutions of Council of Europe. It was established on 1959 with the purpose of protection of rights and freedom guaranteed by European Convention of Human Rights. Court investigates the application (initial act for initiation the procedure before of the court) that was applied by the individual, group, nongovernmental organization, and sometimes the country. Debate is written, but the Court can decide for the verbal procedure for taking some proofs. Initiating the procedure before of the Court is free of charge. When it is concluded that the member country violated one or more rights guaranteed by European Convention of Human Rights, Court passes the decision. All decisions of European Court of Human Rights and obligatory for all member countries. Seat of the Court is in Strasbourg in France. Judges were chosen by Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Court became permanent institution for protection of human rights in Europe on November 1st 1998, when the Protocol of 11th European Convention of human rights came into effect.
Graphic realization: Bozidar Dosenovic and Nebojsa Djumic
Printing house: POSTE SRPSKE a.d. Banjaluka
