to assist and advise the Secretary General on matters pertaining to law and policy in the fields of human rights and the rule of law;

to provide support and advice on these matters to the Committee of Ministers and all its subordinate Committees and, as appropriate, to other Services of the Organisation;

to elaborate and evaluate legal standards (Recommendations, guidelines, handbooks etc. and draft Conventions) ;

to provide secretariat support and advice for the Organisation's treaty and related mechanisms in the fields of human rights and the rule of law ;

to implement programmes and activities aimed at fostering the establishment in member or applicant states of an institutional and legal framework in compliance with the principles of a democratic state, and at ensuring the observance of human rights and the rule of law.

maintains and develops contacts with the competent committees of the Parliamentary Assembly and the Congress;

advises, as appropriate, other directorates general and departments on human rights and rule of law issues, with a view to achieving overall coherence;

liaises and co-operates with the Registry of the European Court of Human Rights on matters of common interest, in particular regarding the execution of the Court's judgments;

liaises and exchanges information with the Commissioner for Human Rights so as to optimise the effectiveness of action taken respectively by the DG and the Commissioner;

maintains and develops contacts with national authorities and specialised agencies (e.g. Government Agents' offices) in member and observer states in the fields of human rights and the rule of law;

follows closely policies and developments in member and observer states which may have implications for human rights and the rule of law and call for action by the Organisation;

disseminates information on Council of Europe standards, achievements and activities in the DG's fields of competence;

maintains and develops legal relations and establishes appropriate working contacts with the European Union through the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding between the two organisations;

implements the agreement between the European Union and the Council of Europe concerning the EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA);

designs and implements assistance activities to facilitate the honouring of commitments by member or applicant states, including in the framework of joint initiatives with the European Commission and other partners and of the "Human Rights Trust Fund";

develops interaction and synergies between the work of the Council of Europe in the fields of human rights and the rule of law and that of other European, regional and global actors through targeted contacts and liaison with the competent services and bodies of the United Nations, the OECD and the OSCE, taking into account the specific responsibilities of the Directorate of External Relations

works with and through non-governmental organisations and relevant professional groups;

liaises with Council of Europe field offices and information offices concerning matters within its sphere of competence, taking into account the specific responsibilities of the Directorate General of Democracy and Political Affairs;

takes into consideration in all its activities, as appropriate, the importance of internal and external communication, in close collaboration with the Directorate of Communication.