European Human Rights Bodies
European Court of Human Rights, StrasbourgAs well as the United Nations, there are inter-governmental bodies at the regional level in Europe which deal with human rights.
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe was founded in 1949 following the Second World War. Based in Strasbourg, France, it has 47 member states including Ireland. It aims to protect human rights, pluralist democracy and the rule of law; to promote awareness and encourage the development of Europe's cultural identity and diversity.
The main component parts of the Council of Europe are the Committee of Ministers, the Parliamentary Assembly, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities and a secretariat recruited from member states, which is headed by a Secretary General who is elected by the Parliamentary Assembly.
Protection of human rights is core to all the functions of the Council of Europe. In the context of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), the primary organs of relevance to human rights are the European Court of Human Rights, the European Commission on Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), the Committee on the Prevention of Torture (CPT), the Vienna Commission and the Office of the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights.
Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe
Another body working on human rights issues is the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
The OSCE is a regional security organisation, with 56 participating states from North America, central Asia, and Europe. The OSCE is a primary instrument for early warning, conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict rehabilitation in its area. Ireland became a member in 1973. Participating States commit to aim to ensure full respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The OSCE, through its Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) is active throughout the OSCE area in the fields of election observation, democratic development, human rights, tolerance and non-discrimination, and rule of law.
EU Fundamental Rights Agency
The European Union is increasingly moving into the field of human rights, establishing a Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) in 2008.
The FRA is based in Vienna, Austria, provides the relevant institutions and authorities of the European Community and its Member States when implementing Community law with assistance and expertise relating to fundamental rights to support them to fully respect fundamental rights when they take measures within their respective spheres of competence. The FRA focuses on the situation of fundamental rights in the EU and its 27 member States.
The FRA is specifically mandated to work with National Human Rights Institutions.