Table of contents

Organisation of Secretariat:

Private Office of the Secretary General and the Deputy Secretary General 

Overall mandate

To advise, assist and report to the Secretary General and the Deputy Secretary General in all matters relating to their office.

Main objectives

▪ To ensure implementation by the Secretariat of the policy and management priorities of the Secretary General and Deputy Secretary General;

▪ to co-ordinate the activities of the different parts of the Secretariat with a view to promoting transversality, co-operation, efficiency and focus on priorities;

▪ to co-ordinate the preparation of official visits of the Secretary General and the Deputy Secretary General, of their meetings and of their participation in internal and external events, and to ensure follow-up including feedback to the services involved in such events;

▪ to communicate and represent the Council of Europe in matters concerning the Private Office;

▪ to provide secretariat support to the governance structures of senior management (Senior Management Group and General Affairs Team);

▪ in liaison with the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Organisational Development and Reform, to ensure the preparation and smooth implementation of the Secretary General’s reform policy.

To meet these objectives, the Private Office

▪ helps to establish objectives to be set by Major Administrative Entities in line with the priorities fixed by the Secretary General and Deputy Secretary General and ensures appropriate follow-up and implementation within a given timeframe;

▪ prepares briefings for the Secretary General and Deputy Secretary General on all matters relating to their office;

▪ prepares Secretary General and Deputy Secretary General communications to the Committee of Ministers, the Parliamentary Assembly and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe;

▪ assists and advises the Secretary General and Deputy Secretary General before, during and after meetings; ensures proper preparation and follow-up;

▪ prepares meetings of the Secretariat governance structures, distributes conclusions and ensures follow-up to decisions taken;

▪ prepares and co-ordinates, together with the Directorate General of Democracy and Political Affairs (DGDPA) and other Major Administrative Entities, the Secretary General’s and Deputy Secretary General’s official visits, participation in Ministerial Conferences and other missions, and accompanies, when appropriate, the Secretary General and Deputy Secretary General on such visits;

▪ works closely with the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Organisational Development and Reform;

▪ establishes working relations with the Ministers’ Deputies, members of the Parliamentary Assembly and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, the European Court of Human Rights and the Commissioner for Human Rights;

▪ participates in the preparation, organisation and follow-up of meetings with other international organisations (UN, EU, OSCE and other international and regional organisations);

▪ fosters relations with its counterparts in member states and other international institutions/organisations;

▪ convenes co-ordination meetings at the request of the Secretary General or Deputy Secretary General with services concerned, for the purpose of rationalising the work and ensuring synergy both within each Major Administrative Entity and between Major Administrative Entities;

▪ promotes communication between different parts of the Secretariat to avoid duplication of tasks and activities and increase synergy;

▪ advises/mediates in case of competing interests between different Major Administrative Entities;

▪ initiates and promotes internal and external communication, in close co-operation with the Directorate of Communication (DC);

▪ distributes all incoming mail addressed to the Secretary General and Deputy Secretary General to the services concerned and ensures that action is taken on it;

▪ assists the Secretary General and the Deputy Secretary General in preparing their decisions on staff matters including appointments at senior level;

▪ approves documents and texts prepared by the Secretariat and authorises their issue;

▪ organises regular meetings between the Secretary General, Deputy Secretary General and senior management.

Secretariat of the Committee of Ministers (SecCM) 

Overall mandate

To ensure the functioning of the Committee of Ministers as the decision-making organ of the Council of Europe.

Main objectives

▪ To prepare and organise the meetings of the Ministers, their Deputies and subsidiary groups;

▪ to assist the Chairmanship in preparing and running meetings, communications and exchanges of views;

▪ to assist the chairpersons of rapporteur and working groups, and thematic coordinators in the discharge of their duties;

▪ to facilitate liaison between permanent representations and the Council of Europe Secretariat;

▪ to facilitate dialogue between the Committee of Ministers and committees reporting to it and the institutional partners in the Council of Europe;

▪ to foster relations with other international institutions and organisations, in co-operation with the Directorate of External Relations;

▪ to disseminate information about the Committee of Ministers, in co-operation with the DC.

To meet these objectives, the SecCM

▪ establishes and distributes files, prepares documents for and conclusions of the meetings of Ministers and their Deputies, of rapporteur and working groups, and of thematic coordinators; maintains the Committee of Ministers website to this effect;

▪ assists and advises the chairpersons of meetings before, during and after meetings;

▪ prepares, through documentation and briefings, the Secretary General, the Deputy Secretary General and senior Secretariat representatives for contacts with the Committee of Ministers and facilitates co-ordination within the Secretariat in matters pertaining to the Committee of Ministers;

▪ prepares, through documentation, drafts and briefings, the dialogue between the Committee of Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly, the European Court of Human Rights, the Congress and the Commissioner for Human Rights;

▪ participates in the material and intellectual organisation of “2+2/ 3+3” (Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE), Quadripartite (European Union – EU) and Tripartite (United Nations and OSCE) meetings as well as of meetings with representatives of other international organisations;

▪ monitors the taking of appropriate follow-up action on the decisions of the Committee of Ministers by the relevant Council of Europe units;

▪ contributes to the appropriate media impact of the work of the Committee of Ministers, in co-operation with the DC;

▪ informs interested target groups and the general public about the Committee of Ministers’ work.

Secretariat of the Parliamentary Assembly

According to Article 64 of the Assembly’s Rules of Procedure:

“1. The Secretariat of the Parliamentary Assembly shall be run by the Secretary General of the Assembly who is elected by it and shall be assisted by the administrative staff required for its work.

2. The Secretary General of the Assembly shall perform his duties under the authority of the Assembly and shall be responsible and accountable to its Bureau.”

The Secretariat of the Assembly is composed of directorates (which include secretariats of committees and units) and the Private Office of the President. The structure and tasks of each of them are determined by the Secretary General of the Assembly, who is also responsible for the management of the Assembly’s human resources and budget.

The Secretary General of the Assembly has the rank of Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe (see Resolution (49) 20 of the Committee of Ministers).

Overall mandate

To supply the Assembly with the assistance required for its proper functioning and for the fulfilment of its political mandate. This includes providing support for its bodies (President, Bureau, Presidential Committee, Standing Committee, committees and sub-committees). The statutory role and structure of the Assembly is described in Appendix 1.

Main objectives

▪ To ensure the smooth functioning of the Assembly and its bodies (President, Bureau, Presidential Committee, Standing Committee, committees and sub-committees);
▪ to prepare the groundwork for all Assembly activities and programmes and to provide assistance to the members of the Assembly;

▪ to follow up the decisions taken by the Assembly and its bodies;

▪ to organise specialised conferences and colloquies, hearings and other activities.

To meet these objectives, the Secretariat of the Assembly

▪ provides the appropriate infrastructure and support for the Assembly part-sessions and the numerous meetings held under the auspices of the Assembly both in Strasbourg and elsewhere;

▪ provides administrative and other support in organising the work of the President, Bureau, Presidential Committee, Standing Committee, committees and sub-committees, in particular:

      • to ensure follow-up of the decisions taken by the Assembly and its bodies;
      • to prepare the groundwork (in particular research, analysis, contacts, drafting of documents, speeches and notes) for all the Assembly’s activities and programmes;
      • to organise the official missions and travel of, and provide assistance to, the members of the Assembly in their missions on behalf of the Assembly;

▪ maintains working relations with the political groups of the Assembly;

▪ organises the external contacts of the Assembly with, inter alia, national parliaments, international parliamentary assemblies, international organisations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs);

▪ manages the assistance programmes for national parliaments of central and east European countries and organises the observation of elections;

▪ ensures good relations between the Assembly and its institutional partners in the Council of Europe, notably the Committee of Ministers, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe, the European Court of Human Rights and the Commissioner for Human Rights;

▪ maintains contacts and working relations with Council of Europe committees of governmental experts;

▪ co-operates with other Council of Europe entities engaged in related activities and issues, for example with the Venice Commission and the North-South Centre;

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

▪ in collaboration with relevant administrative entities of the DGAL:

      – prepares the Assembly budget, maintains financial statistics and ensures the management of the budget in compliance with the financial regulations of the Council of Europe and the principles of sound financial management;
      – develops and manages the computer facilities available to the Assembly secretariat, including the Assembly voting system, databases and websites; provides user training and support during the Assembly part-sessions.

Appendix 1: Statutory role and structure of the Parliamentary Assembly

▪ The Parliamentary Assembly is the parliamentary organ of the Council of Europe and provides political impetus to the Council’s actions. The Assembly may discuss and make recommendations upon any matter within the aim and scope of the Council of Europe.
▪ The Assembly gives its opinion on requests for accession to the Council of Europe, as well as for Observer status, and is formally consulted on draft conventions and other legal instruments of the Council of Europe.

▪ The Assembly is composed of parliamentarians appointed by the national parliaments of the Council of Europe member states, as well as members from Observer delegations. Its role and functions are defined in Chapter V of the Statute of the Council, in particular Articles 22 to 24.

▪ The Assembly elects its President and Vice-Presidents and sets up the general committees.

▪ The Assembly elects the Secretary General and Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe (Article 36 of the Statute) as well as the Secretary General of the Assembly (Resolution (49) 20). It also elects the judges to the European Court of Human Rights (Article 22 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms) and the Commissioner for Human Rights (Resolution (99) 50). It is furthermore involved in the procedure for the appointment of members of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (Article 5 of the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment).

▪ The Assembly meets four times a year in plenary session (“part-sessions”), usually the last full week in January, April, June and September. Between part-sessions, the Standing Committee acts on behalf of the Assembly. The debates of the Assembly and Standing Committee are conducted by the President, who also ensures observance of the Rules of Procedure.

▪ The President, the Vice-Presidents, the leaders of the political groups and the chairpersons of the ten committees form the Bureau of the Assembly. The Bureau is chaired by the President of the Assembly. It is responsible for the co-ordination of the activities of the Assembly and its committees. It also guides the external relations of the Assembly.

▪ The Presidential Committee consists of the President, the leaders of the political groups and the Secretary General of the Assembly. It is a consultative body for the Bureau and the President. It prepares meetings of the Bureau, which may assign it liaison tasks.

Directorate of Communication (DC) 

Overall mandate

To implement the Council of Europe Communication Strategy approved by the Committee of Ministers with a view to developing greater awareness of the Organisation and helping to promote its fundamental values – democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

Main objectives

▪ To ensure communication on the activities and opinions of the Council of Europe;

▪ to ensure the coherence of communication in the different parts of the Organisation;

▪ to ensure quality media coverage of the Council of Europe’s main activities by developing productive working relationships with journalists and media organisations in the member states;

▪ to reach out to large European audiences and increase the visibility of the Council of Europe through the effective use of mass media;

▪ to ensure the branding of the Organisation, development of messages and coherence in the visual presentation of different campaigns;

▪ to develop and co-ordinate the Organisation’s online communication strategy, including visual presentation and the harmonisation of standards;

▪ to establish and implement the Council of Europe publications policy, in co-operation with the Publications Committee;

▪ to ensure and intensify, in partnership with the DGAL, the Organisation’s internal communication, using the Intranet portal and the websites linked to it.

To meet these objectives, the DC

▪ searches out news opportunities, constantly follows media developments and proactively helps journalists to process and analyse information;

▪ ensures co-ordination and forward planning of the Organisation’s communication activities for the best impact;

▪ drafts and issues press releases, opinion articles, information documents and other public documents for journalists;

▪ organises press-related activities (such as press conferences, interviews, background briefings, radio and television broadcasts);

▪ establishes and uses a network of journalists in Europe’s capitals;

▪ uses a network of press correspondents;

▪ encourages the active participation of the Council of Europe’s Information Offices in implementing media strategies and campaigns;

▪ provides training and guidance to staff members at all levels regarding their dealings with the media;

▪ ensures day-to-day monitoring and analysis of the Organisation’s press coverage, while also alerting relevant departments to breaking news stories;

▪ develops communication using new information technologies, in particular through web portals including in non-official languages, while ensuring that a common policy is implemented;

▪ co-ordinates, alongside the other major administrative entities, the design and execution of the communication-related aspects of public information campaigns highlighting the Organisation’s priorities, role and achievements;

▪ co-ordinates the production and distribution of publicity materials (such as brochures, leaflets, posters and CD-ROMs);

▪ co-ordinates the organisation of public relations events as well as contacts with the general public and, as part of that work, organises visits to the Council of Europe;
▪ develops policies for the harmonisation of the visual presentation of different Council of Europe products, which includes the use of the logo, symbols and flags;

▪ establishes partnerships with key international broadcasters and individual TV programmes;

▪ develops and manages the Organisation’s audiovisual resources;

▪ manages the photographic service of the Council of Europe, including the production and distribution of photographs;

▪ organises and disseminates television recordings, including direct transmissions;

▪ publishes, translates, and commercially distributes and markets the Organisation’s publications in member States through partnerships.

Directorate of Legal Advice and Public International Law (DLAPIL)


Overall mandate

To discharge the tasks necessary to enable the Secretary General to fulfil his/her role as depositary of the treaties of the Council of Europe, as Head of the Secretariat and as representative of the legal personality of the Council of Europe in conformity with the General Agreement on Privileges and Immunities;

To manage the full range of issues related to the development and implementation of public international law;

To direct the development and implementation of the Council of Europe’s anti-terrorist activities; to strengthen legal action, safeguard fundamental values and address the causes of terrorism; to supervise the operation of treaties related to this issue.

Main objectives

▪ To provide legal advice to the Committee of Ministers, the Parliamentary Assembly and their subsidiary bodies, as well as to the Secretary General and the various departments of the Secretariat. Such legal advice aims at ensuring that the interpretation of the Council of Europe’s statutory and regulatory texts, notably in regard to staff issues and disputes and to procedural issues for committees and partial agreements, is legally correct and consistent, that the privileges and immunities of the Council of Europe and its staff are respected, and that contracts signed by the Secretary General on behalf of the Council of Europe comply with the applicable law. In addition, a senior staff member of this Directorate acts as the legal adviser of the bodies of the Council of Europe Development Bank;

▪ to assist the Secretary General in his/her capacity as depositary of the treaties of the Council of Europe;

▪ to organise administrative and disciplinary proceedings and to represent the Secretary General in legal proceedings initiated by staff members in the Administrative Tribunal;

▪ to coordinate the work of the Committee of Experts on Public International Law (CAHDI) and the Committee of Experts on Terrorism (CODEXTER) of the Council of Europe;

▪ to identify possible additional priority activities against terrorism and to make appropriate proposals to the Secretary General and the Committee of Ministers with a view to intensifying the Council of Europe’s action against terrorism, including preventive measures, while preserving and promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms;

▪ to assist and advise the Secretary General in policy debates relating to counter-terrorism or public international law, and provide him/her with assistance, advice and documentation in the event of crises, conflicts or urgent situations connected with terrorism or compliance with public international law.

To meet these objectives, the DLAPIL

▪ provides both background legal information and legal advice to the Secretary General and, when appropriate, to other directorates general and the competent bodies of the Parliamentary Assembly and the Congress;

▪ in accordance with the general instructions and guidelines issued by the Secretary General, provides secretariat services for the planning, implementation and assessment of intergovernmental cooperation activities in the field of international law and the fight against terrorism;

▪ in close contact with the competent bodies of the Council of Europe and their secretariats, promotes compliance in member and applicant states with the principles contained in conventions to counter terrorism;

▪ provides country profiles on states’ legislative and institutional counter-terrorism capabilities and promotes best practice relating to the protection and compensation of victims of terrorism;

▪ promotes the entry into force and implementation of Council of Europe instruments applicable to the fight against terrorism;

▪ represents the Secretary General in international and national events connected with the fight against terrorism and with public international law;

▪ organises activities to assist member States in developing and implementing policies and standards to counter terrorism and in public international law.


Directorate of Internal Oversight

Overall Mandate

To provide independent oversight, objective assurance and consulting services designed to add value to and improve the Organisation’s operations. To this end, the Directorate of Internal Oversight assists management in the effective discharge of its responsibilities by assessing its internal control and governance processes as well as the medium term effects of its activities, and their worth or significance in terms of the changes created.

Main objectives

▪ To contribute to the rigorous and effective management of resources;

▪ to support informed decision-making;

▪ to add value and timeliness to the management process;

▪ to enhance organisational learning and innovation;

▪ to provide substantive accountability vis-à-vis the member states and other donors and stakeholders;

▪ to improve communication with stakeholders of programme results and impact;

▪ to disclose presumptive fraud and corruption matters;

▪ to provide quality assurance advice on evaluation-related matters.

To meet these objectives the Directorate of Internal Oversight

▪ carries out audits and evaluations, in particular in areas of strategic relevance;

▪ consults with management on their concerns and needs;

▪ provides management with analyses, assessments, recommendations and advice concerning the operations reviewed;

▪ provides information about the quality of the performance of the Secretariat of the Council of Europe in carrying out policies, programmes and actions;

▪ assesses the economic, efficient and effective use of resources, both financial and human;

▪ reviews the accuracy of financial, managerial and operational information;

▪ sets standards for planning, conducting and using evaluation, develops and disseminates the methodology and establishes the institutional mechanisms for applying standards;

▪ provides support to decentralised evaluations managed by the Major Administrative Entities, supports the quality assurance of independent evaluations and checks the quality of independent reports;

▪ maintains a publicly accessible repository of evaluation reports, disseminates good practices and lessons learnt;

▪ develops an evaluation culture in the organisation;

▪ ensures follow-up action is taken to remedy identified weaknesses;

Independence

The Directorate of Internal Oversight enjoys operational independence in the conduct of its duties. This independence is obtained primarily through the organisational status of the Directorate of Internal Oversight which reports directly to the Secretary General.

The Directorate of Internal Oversight has full discretion on selecting audit and evaluation subjects and the authority to initiate, carry out and report on any action, considered necessary to fulfil its responsibilities. The Director of Internal Oversight has to accept requests for his or her services from the Secretary General, but he or she may not be prohibited from carrying out any action within the purview of his or her mandate.

Protocol

Overall Mandate

The Protocol Department advises and assists the Organisation as a whole as well as representatives of member states, observers, candidates on matters related to protocol, privileges and immunities, official events and relations with host countries, in particular with France.

Main objectives

▪ To contribute to the effectiveness and success of official visits and events through careful planning of protocol aspects;

▪ to deal with the privileges and immunities accorded to the Council of Europe, to the members of permanent representations as well as to staff and their families, including tax, customs and other fiscal privileges;

▪ to maintain constructive relations with the host country, as well as with the other countries hosting Council of Europe Offices, and with the local and regional authorities as appropriate;

▪ to facilitate visa requests of staff, and experts and national officials on official mission, including elected members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and of the Congress, the Commissioner for Human Rights and judges of the European Court of Human Rights.

To meet these objectives, the Protocol Department

▪ advises and assists the Organisation’s organs and their high representatives, as well as staff on the protocol aspects of the organisation of ceremonies and official events in and outside Strasbourg;

▪ advises the Permanent Representations of member states, observers and, if applicable, candidate states, as well as local and regional interlocutors, on Council of Europe protocol;

▪ organises the protocol aspects of ceremonies and official events, including, in cooperation with the Directorate of Communication, of media events;

▪ prepares and accompanies official visits to the Council of Europe carried out by high level personalities;

▪ organises the protocol aspects of official visits carried out by the Secretary General and Deputy Secretary General;

▪ liaises with the French authorities in order to resolve questions relating to privileges and immunities for the members of Permanent Representations, Council of Europe staff and their respective families;

▪ coordinates all issues related to protocol of Council of Europe services and offices outside Strasbourg;
▪ liaises with the relevant French local and regional authorities for matters of common interests;

▪ processes visa requests from staff members and members of statutory and other organs;

▪ provides technical assistance towards the organisation of Sessions of the Committee of Ministers, Conferences of specialised Ministers, colloquies, seminars etc.;

▪ prepares and organises the Council of Europe’s official social events such as the Secretary General’s/Deputy Secretary General’s luncheons, dinners and receptions.

Directorate General of Democracy and Political Affairs (DG-DPA)
.
Overall mandate

To assist and advise the Secretary General, the Organisation’s statutory organs and other bodies, on all Council of Europe-related political matters affecting member and applicant States, non-member States and Observer States.

To secure institutional and political relations with other international Organisations (in particular the EU, OSCE and UN) and relevant sub-regional initiatives.

To develop the Council of Europe’s contribution to the setting-up and functioning of democratic institutions at all levels, including democratic participation.

This takes the form of political analysis, policy planning and proposals for action, their implementation, follow-up and evaluation, with a view to enhancing the realisation of the Council of Europe’s democratic ideals and objectives.

Main objectives

▪ To identify political developments and events, including elections, in member and applicant states, as well as in non-member States (including Observer States), which call for rapid reaction or action by the Council of Europe;

▪ to provide timely and quality analysis and advice to the Secretary General, the Committee of Ministers and its Rapporteur Groups, as well as to other Council of Europe bodies;

▪ to follow closely and alert the Secretary General in due time about on-going developments in societies which could have an impact on the activity of the Council of Europe and the content of its programmes / Policy Planning / Early Warning;

▪ to foster political dialogue and co-operation through regular contacts with the relevant authorities of member States, applicant countries and Observer States;

▪ to assist the Committee of Ministers and its relevant Rapporteur Groups in monitoring member States’ compliance with obligations and commitments and to provide them with support in the procedure of accession of new member States (as well as in the procedure for granting Observer status to applicant States);

▪ to contribute to the co-ordination of the Council of Europe policy and action (including conclusion of agreements) with other international organisations (in particular the European Union, the OSCE and the United Nations), both at Headquarters and field level, as well as with the various sub-regional organisations, initiatives and mechanisms;

▪ to provide both background political information and advice with regard to Council of Europe programmes and, whenever necessary, to propose specific programmes in support of political advice;

▪ in accordance with the priorities determined by the Committee of Ministers and the Secretary General, co-ordinate the planning of co-operation programmes with member States and applicant countries, and possibly with non member States which co-operate with the Council of Europe,

▪ to secure overall co-ordination of the relations with the European Union, including Joint Programmes;

▪ to secure efficient implementation of programmes in the area of democracy and good governance ;

▪ to implement and co-ordinate electoral assistance programmes and confidence-building measures in post-conflict situations, in close co-operation with other relevant MAEs and external Offices;

▪ to promote civic participation at European and domestic levels through management of the participatory status of INGOs with the Council of Europe and support for the Conference of INGOs and its various activities, as well as other forms of interaction with civil society;

▪ through CoE external offices, to promote an active extra-budgetary resource mobilisation strategy;

▪ to secure an efficient CoE field presence and the visibility of CoE action by providing overall management and political guidance to the CoE Offices (including Liaison Offices with the European Union, the OSCE and the United Nations).

To meet these objectives, DGDPA:

▪ maintains and develops regular contacts – in particular with member States’ policy planning services - and exchange of information and fosters appropriate working relations with relevant players (both national and multilateral) at headquarters and in the countries concerned, in order to contribute to sound political analysis and coherence of proposals for action;

▪ provides regular reports (based on on-site visits) to the Committee of Ministers and its relevant Rapporteur Groups on countries subject to accession or post-accession monitoring procedures or any other procedure decided by the Committee of Ministers;

▪ provides proper follow-up to the report and proposals of the Group of Eminent Persons ;

▪ provides assistance and support to the Conference of European Ministers responsible for Local and Regional Government.

Directorate General of Human Rights and Legal Affairs (DGHL)

Overall mandate

The Directorate General of Human Rights and Legal Affairs has overall responsibility for the development and implementation of the human rights and rule of law standards of the Council of Europe, including the promotion of democracy through law, the operation of relevant treaties and related monitoring mechanisms, and the development and implementation of activities in these fields.

The Directorate General is responsible for all matters within its competence that are relevant to the fulfilment of the Organisation's statutory objectives.

Main objectives 

▪ 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. In addition to the general protection of civil, political, economic and social rights, this includes in particular the prevention of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; the protection of national minorities; the fight against racism and intolerance; safeguarding individuals against threats to their dignity and integrity (trafficking, violence, etc.); the promotion of equality between women and men and gender mainstreaming; the protection of freedom of expression and of information in the information society and of media freedoms; the promotion of independent, pluralistic media; the fight against all forms of crime, including corruption, money laundering and cybercrime; the strengthening of international cooperation in criminal matters, including with regard to prisons, and in matters of public and private law, including with regard to nationality, family law and data protection; and the promotion of independent, efficient justice;

▪ to provide support and advice on these matters to the Committee of Ministers and all its subordinate committees and, as appropriate, to other departments 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.

To meet these objectives, the DGHL

▪ 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 players 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.

Directorate General of Social Cohesion (DG III) 

Overall mandate

To foster social cohesion and promote the improvement of the quality of life in Europe for the genuine enjoyment of fundamental human rights and the respect of human dignity.

Main objectives

▪ To elaborate and promote European standards, policies, practices and tools in the social, disability, health, bioethical, migration and Roma fields, and to support non-discrimination and equal opportunities as well as ethnic and cultural diversity, with a view to reducing inequality and building confidence in a common and secure future for all;

▪ to assist and advise the Secretary General on matters pertaining to social cohesion - social, disability, health, migration and Roma policies and bioethical standard-setting - and to provide support and advice to the Committee of Ministers, and, as appropriate, the other statutory organs of the Organisation, whenever such matters arise;

▪ to assist and supervise the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines and Health Care, the Secretariat of the Partial Agreement on the Council of Europe Development Bank and the Co-operation Group to Combat Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in Drugs (Pompidou Group) in the implementation of their programmes in accordance with the specific terms of reference of these partial agreements.

To meet these objectives, DG III

in accordance with the general instructions and guidelines issued by the Secretary General, and in co-operation with the DSP and other major administrative entities:

▪ provides secretariat services for the planning, implementation and assessment of intergovernmental co-operation activities in the social cohesion area and, in this context, services intergovernmental and related bodies established under the intergovernmental programme, as well as conferences of specialised ministers;

▪ designs and implements targeted programmes to assist member states (and applicant states) to fulfil their commitments in the social cohesion area, notably as regards the compatibility of their legislation and practices with the various agreements and conventions of the Organisation and in particular the European Code of Social Security and its Protocol, the European Convention on Social Security, the European Convention on the Legal Status of Migrant Workers and the Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine;

▪ promotes the effective implementation of the principles embodied in the social cohesion instruments of the Council of Europe through policy development (recommendations) and in particular the Council of Europe Disability Action Plan 2006-2015;

▪ elaborates standards for the protection of fundamental rights with regard to the applications of biology and medicine;

▪ leads the Council of Europe transversal programme on children’s rights and promotes the integration of a child rights perspective in all Council of Europe policies;

▪ co-ordinates the work of the Organisation on migration;

▪ maintains and develops contacts with the competent committees of the Parliamentary Assembly, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, the Conference of INGO’s of the Council of Europe and the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights where social cohesion-related issues are concerned;

▪ maintains and develops contacts with national authorities’ specialised agencies and NGOs in member states in the area of social cohesion and with similar agencies and NGOs in applicant and Observer states;

▪ follows closely policies and developments in member, applicant and Observer states which may impact on social cohesion policy and call for action by the Organisation;

▪ disseminates information on Council of Europe standards, achievements and activities in the area of social cohesion;

▪ co-ordinates co-operation between the Secretariat and the Council of Europe Development Bank;

▪ designs and implements assistance activities to facilitate the fulfilment of commitments by member and applicant states, including in the framework of joint initiatives with the European Commission and other partners;

▪ develops interaction and synergies between the work of the Council of Europe and that of other European, regional and global players in the area of social cohesion through targeted contacts and liaison with the competent services and bodies of the United Nations family, the European Commission, the OSCE, OECD and the Nordic Council of Ministers, taking into account the specific responsibilities of the Directorate of External Relations;

▪ 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.

Directorate General of Education, Culture and Heritage, Youth and Sport (DG IV)

Overall mandate

To support the implementation of the Council of Europe’s Statute by member states in cultural, educational, youth and sport matters and of the European Cultural Convention (ECC) by all 49 states parties to it, and to perform the tasks set out in the Warsaw Summit Action Plan (May 2005).

It does so through activities aimed at developing standards, policies, monitoring mechanisms and good practices for the preservation and enhancement of the common pan-European cultural and natural heritage and the promotion of cultural co-operation, education to develop knowledge, understanding, attitudes and abilities, in particular with regard to human rights, democratic culture and democratic citizenship, as well as cultural and linguistic diversity, youth participation, and sport in democratic societies. It aims at expanding the involvement of young people and the youth dimension across the whole range of activities of the Council of Europe. It has the task of strengthening cooperation and coordination in the field of intercultural dialogue, in compliance with the Warsaw Action Plan, both within the Organisation and with other regional and international institutions, through the designation of the Director General as Council of Europe Coordinator for intercultural dialogue.

Main objectives

▪ To assist and advise the Secretary General on policy issues related to intercultural dialogue, education, languages (including minority languages), culture, cultural and natural heritage, youth and sport, and to provide support and advice to the Committee of Ministers, the Parliamentary Assembly and the Congress in its fields of competence;

▪ to plan and implement relevant programmes to service intergovernmental and other bodies of the Council of Europe, as well as the conferences of specialised ministers;

▪ to design and implement targeted programmes to assist states parties to the ECC to develop their relevant structures and policies and fulfil their commitments under the relevant treaties of the Organisation: in the educational and languages policy sectors, under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages and the Council of Europe/UNESCO Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the European Region; in the cultural and natural heritage fields, under the European Convention on the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage, the Convention for the Protection of the Architectural Heritage of Europe, the European Landscape Convention and the European Convention on Cinematographic Co-Production; in the field of sport, under the Anti-Doping Convention and the Convention on Spectator Violence and Misbehaviour at Sports Events and in particular at Football Matches;

▪ to assist the governing bodies of the partial agreements set up in its fields of competence in their work, in accordance with their respective terms of reference, and to provide management and other services for the implementation of their programmes: The European Centre for Global Interdependence and Solidarity (the North-South Centre, Lisbon), the European Centre for Modern Languages (Graz), the European Support Fund for the Co-production and Distribution of Creative Cinematographic and Audiovisual Works (Eurimages), the European Audiovisual Observatory, the EUR-OPA Major Hazards Agreement, the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS) and the Partial Agreement on the Youth Card (for the Purpose of Promoting and Facilitating Youth Mobility in Europe).

To meet these objectives, DG IV

▪ in accordance with the general instructions and guidelines issued by the Secretary General, and in co-operation with the DSP, provides secretariat services for the planning, implementation and assessment of intergovernmental standard-setting, monitoring and co-operation activities;

▪ advises and assists the Committee of Ministers and its relevant rapporteur groups and/or rapporteurs;

▪ co-operates with the other parts of the Secretariat and the competent committees of the Parliamentary Assembly and of the Congress on policy issues;

▪ maintains and develops contacts with national authorities and specialised agencies in states parties to the ECC and in Observer states;

▪ designs and implements assistance activities to facilitate the fulfilment of commitments by member and applicant states, including in the framework of joint initiatives with the European Commission and other partners;

▪ develops interaction and synergies between the work of the Council of Europe and that of other European, regional and global institutions through targeted contacts and liaison with the competent services and bodies of the United Nations, the European Commission, the OSCE, the Nordic Council of Ministers, the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), the Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation and the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), taking into account the specific responsibilities of the Directorate of External Relations.;

▪ works in partnership with non-governmental organisations and relevant professional groups on targeted issues of intercultural dialogue, education, culture, minority languages, heritage, youth and sport, as well as foundations and specialized training and resource centres such as the Wergeland Centre (European resource centre on education for intercultural understanding, human rights and democratic citizenship, Oslo);

▪ works through the permanent co-management structures in the youth field that allow co-decision making between governments and youth NGOs representatives, making full use of its two international training and meeting centres, the European Youth Centres (EYCs) in Strasbourg and Budapest, to implement Council of Europe’s youth policies;

▪ follows the decisions of the European Co-ordination Forum and the Committee of Ministers with regard to the Council of Europe’s relations with the World Anti-Doping Agency;

▪ launches Europe-wide campaigns promoting diversity, inclusion, dialogue and participation in society, such as the Council of Europe “All Different-All Equal” and “Speak out against discrimination” campaigns;

▪ liaises with Council of Europe field offices and information offices within its field 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.

Directorate General of Administration (DGA) 
 
Overall mandate

To assist the Secretary General in the definition of strategic objectives and priorities for the Council of Europe, including the allocation of resources and to provide the Organisation with the administrative, technical and logistical support needed to carry out its activities with a concern for innovation, client-orientation and cost-efficiency.

Main objectives

▪ To contribute to the definition of the Organisation’s priorities and guarantee the smooth preparation and implementation of the programme and budget;

▪ to provide knowledge, advice and quality services for the good management of programming, financial, human, information-technology, logistical and linguistic resources;

▪ to develop and disseminate rules and procedures for the best possible use of these resources and to monitor their application;

▪ to provide impetus for innovation in the management of these resources and promote a culture of administrative modernisation;

▪ to ensure that staff receive timely and adequate information on all matters falling within the fields of responsibility of the DGA;

▪ to promote the consistent application of existing rules and procedures and the transfer of administrative good practices within the Organisation.

 To meet these objectives, the DGA

▪ prepares the Organisation’s programme and budgets in co-operation with the other major administrative entities;

▪ follows the implementation of the programme and the execution of the budget, both financially and in terms of expected results, and provides managers with the necessary advice, training and information ;

▪ manages the Organisation’s funds and optimises their return ;

▪ keeps the Organisation’s accounts and prepares its financial statements in accordance with IPSAS (International Public Sector Accounting Standards) ;
▪ provides translation and interpretation services for the entire Organisation ;

▪ promotes management reforms and facilitates the process of change;

▪ ensures that the Organisation enters into the most favourable contracts for the supply of goods and services in accordance with the relevant regulations;

▪ communicates with staff regularly via the Intranet Portal and other appropriate means;

▪ acts as the depositary of the Organisation’s internal regulations and ensures their updating;

▪ formulates and implements human resources policies, particularly in matters of recruitment, contracts, internal staff movements, training, competencies and performance management, equal opportunities and balanced geographical representation;

▪ ensures the administrative management of serving and retired staff as regards pay, pensions, allowances, working hours and medical and social cover;

▪ provides the Organisation with a secure information system and guarantees the availability, integrity and confidentiality of information;

▪ by means of training and spread of good practices develops synergy based on information and information technology;

▪ manages the Organisation’s archives (whether on paper or in electronic or audiovisual form);

▪ manages the Organisation’s buildings (in Strasbourg, Paris, Brussels, Lisbon, Budapest and Graz) and their technical installations, equipment and furnishings and oversees all renovations and conversions of the Organisation’s premises;

▪ handles the production and circulation of the Council of Europe’s documents and publications;

▪ provides security against fire, accident and other risks and performs ongoing checks on installations, equipment and procedure at the Organisation’s different sites;

▪ provides, directly or through subcontractors, services such as catering, technical maintenance, cleaning, distribution of working documents and mail, official motor vehicles, conference services and a travel office.

Secretariat of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe 

Overall mandate

To ensure the functioning of the Congress and its organs and to support it in the pursuit of its main goals as defined in Article 2 of Statutory Resolution (2007) 6. In its work, the Secretariat is answerable to the Congress and its organs and acts under the authority of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.

Main objectives

▪ To prepare and organise the meetings of the Congress, its organs, its committees and working groups;

▪ to organise specialised conferences and colloquies on topical issues;

▪ to prepare, on a regular basis, monitoring reports on the situation of local and regional democracy in all member states and in states which have applied to join the Council of Europe, ensuring, in particular, that the principles of the European Charter of Local Self-Government are implemented (Article 2.3 of Statutory Resolution (2007) 6);

▪ to prepare reports and recommendations following the observation of local and/or regional elections (Article 2.4 of Statutory Resolution (2007) 6);

▪ to advise the Committee of Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly on issues which are likely to affect the responsibilities and essential interests of the local and/or regional authorities which the Congress represents (Article 2.2 of Statutory Resolution (2007) 6);

▪ to extend and enhance the legal framework to foster the participation of local and regional authorities in the implementation of the ideal of European unity, in particular to promote the European Charter of Regional Democracy.

To meet these objectives, the Secretariat of the Congress

▪ provides the appropriate infrastructure for the numerous meetings held under the auspices of the Congress in Strasbourg and elsewhere;

▪ assists the Congress in examining the credentials of the Congress members;

▪ prepares, in close collaboration with the appointed rapporteurs, the reports, recommendations, resolutions and opinions which the Congress organs issue;

▪ prepares and implements the Congress budget;

▪ organises the Congress’s external contacts with, inter alia, international organisations and institutions (in particular the European Union’s Committee of the Regions), national associations of local and regional authorities, national governments, NGOs, associations and organisations holding Observer status, and Special Guest delegations;

▪ liaises with other Council of Europe entities engaged in related activities and issues, in particular with the Parliamentary Assembly, DGDPA, the Venice Commission, the North-South Centre, the Conference of INGOs and the Forum for the Future of democracy;

▪ actively participates in Ministerial Conferences, in particular, the Conference of European Ministers responsible for Local and Regional Government, and in the European Committee on local and regional democracy, notably sharing with these two bodies common objectives such as the European Local Democracy Week and the Strategy on good governance;

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

▪ maintains working relations with specific structures created at the initiative of the Congress, such as:

      • The Committee of Independent Experts of the European Charter of Local Self-Government (ECLSG);
      • The Association of Local Democracy Agencies (ALDA);
      • The European Network of Training Organisations for local and regional authorities (ENTO);
      • The network of National Associations of Local Authorities in South East Europe (NALAS-SEE);
      • The Adriatic and Black Sea Euro-Regions;
      • The European Association of Historic Towns and Regions;
      • The “Prix Europa” for local and regional television and radio programmes.

Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights

Overall mandate

To ensure the functioning of the institution of the Commissioner for Human Rights and to support the Commissioner in the pursuit of his/her objectives as defined in the original terms of reference (Resolution (99) 50 of the Committee of Ministers) as well as other subsequent texts related to the institution. In its work, the Office is answerable to the Commissioner and acts under the authority of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.

Main objectives
▪ To assist the Commissioner in the preparation of his/her reports, recommendations, opinions and other texts related to his/her activities;

▪ to provide the Commissioner with services for planning, implementation, assessment and follow-up of the institution’s programme of activities;

▪ to cooperate with national human rights structures (i.e. ombudsmen and national institutions/commissions for the protection of human rights) with a view inter alia to guaranteeing the long term effectiveness of the Council of Europe system of human rights protection, facilitate their activities and encourage their establishment;

▪ to assist the Commissioner in the protection of human rights defenders and the promotion of their activities in accordance with the Committee of Ministers Declaration of 6 February 2008.

To meet these objectives, the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights

▪ provides secretarial infrastructure for the Commissioner;

▪ assists the Commissioner in the preparation of his/her reports, recommendations and opinions and other texts related to his/her activities;

▪ prepares and implements the Commissioner’s missions and official visits;

▪ follows human rights developments in member States and international fora and provides the Commissioner with information and advice;

▪ ensures the institution’s relations with the Committee of Ministers, the Parliamentary Assembly, the Private Office of the SG and DSG, the Court, the Congress and the Directorate General of Human Rights and Legal Affairs, and co-ordination with bodies, entities and administrative units of the Council of Europe;

▪ ensures co-operation as appropriate with relevant bodies of the EU, UN, OSCE and other international organisations;

▪ maintains and develops contacts with national authorities of member States, as well as with national and international NGOs competent in the field of human rights;

▪ develops and implements a strategy regarding the Commissioner’s approach as the main regional mechanism for the protection of human rights defenders;

▪ identifies cases for potential third party interventions by the Commissioner before the European Court of Human Rights in accordance with Article 36, para 2 of the ECHR, and prepares the written or oral submissions;

▪ ensures constant exchange of information with national human rights structures and carries out targeted human rights activities with their staff members;

▪ organises conferences, colloquies, seminars, workshops and round tables with the different partners of the Commissioner;

▪ handles information provided to the Commissioner by governments, national parliaments, national human rights structures, international organisations, individuals and NGOs, in accordance with Resolution (99) 50;

▪ prepares and allocates the Office’s budget;

▪ takes into consideration in all its activities, as appropriate, the importance of internal and external communication, in close collaboration with the different Directorates concerned.


Registry of the European Court of Human Rights


(General instruction drawn up by the Registrar and approved by the President of the Court in accordance with Rule 17, paragraph 4 of the Rules of Court)

Overall mandate

The overall mandate of the Registry of the European Court of Human Rights (“the Court”) derives from Article 25 of the European Convention on Human Rights (“the Convention”), which provides: “The Court shall have a registry, the functions and organisation of which shall be laid down in the rules of the Court. The Court shall be assisted by legal secretaries.”

The overall mandate of the Registry is thus to assist the Court and the judges to fulfil the Court’s role under the Convention, which is to ensure the observance of the engagements undertaken by the contracting states (Article 19 of the Convention);

In this regard, the Registrar of the Court is responsible for the organisation and activities of the Registry under the authority of the President of the Court (Rule 17, paragraph 1 of the Rules of Court).

Main objectives

▪ To process and prepare for adjudication, within a reasonable time and through appropriate procedures, applications lodged with the Court under the Convention;

▪ to assist the Court in establishing and maintaining case-law which is coherent, consistent and of high quality and which ensures the application of common minimum standards of human rights protection throughout the community of Convention states;

▪ to render the Court’s case-law as accessible as possible and to disseminate to the public general and specialised knowledge of its activities, notably through the management of databases concerning its work and a human rights law library;

▪ to achieve the foregoing objectives in an efficient and cost-effective manner without dilution of the substantive and procedural rights contained in the Convention.

To meet these objectives, the Registry of the Court

▪ assures the handling of correspondence in connection with cases before the Court and the preparation of the case files, including in particular draft decisions and judgments, for consideration by the Court in its various compositions (Committees of three judges, Chambers of seven judges, the Grand Chamber of seventeen judges);

▪ under the supervision of the competent President, assures the organisation of the Court’s judicial business before the Sections and the Grand Chamber;

▪ assists the Court in co-ordinating and ensuring the consistency of its case-law;

▪ collects and analyses statistical data concerning the Court’s workload and its judicial activity, in order:

      • to track the achievement of case-processing objectives and to advise on the appropriate use of resources in the light of the fluctuations in incoming applications;
      • to monitor the efficiency and consistency of working methods, and to provide input to the constant process of review of working methods (under the supervision of the Court’s Standing Committee on Working Methods);

▪ in collaboration with relevant administrative entities of the Directorate General of Administration and Logistics:

      • deals with staff matters (notably staff appointments, the appraisal system and in-house training), security matters and logistics;
      • prepares the Court’s annual draft budget, maintains financial statistics and ensures the management of the budget in compliance with the Financial Regulations of the Council of Europe and the principles of sound financial management;
      • administers the Court’s computer network, including software and hardware installation, website management, user support, training and security, and maintains and develops a number of databases;

▪ organises meetings and hearings, produces and distributes documents, and keeps the case files and archives of the Court;

▪ carries out, at the request of the Court or its judges, research into Convention case-law, comparative law, international law and academic writings;

▪ under the supervision of the Court’s Library Committee, runs the Human Rights Law Library;

▪ under the supervision of the Court’s Publications Committee, prepares publication of the Court’s official reports containing selected judgments and decisions, an annual report and other texts;

▪ ensures the availability of all judgments and decisions on the Internet and disseminates a monthly information note summarising selected pending and decided cases;

▪ in close co-operation with the Directorate of Communication, produces press releases and other information documents in relation to the Court’s activities and answers queries from journalists;

▪ organises visits to the Court by the general and specialised public and by groups of national judges, prosecutors, advocates and the like;

▪ provides specialist language input (translation, revision, advice) at the relevant stages of the Court’s and its Registry’s judicial and administrative work;

▪ provides general secretarial, administrative and legal assistance to the President and the Registrar in connection with all matters relating to their functions under the Rules of Court, including the servicing of the Plenary Court and the Bureau of the Court;

▪ contributes to the ongoing process of revising the Rules of Court (through servicing the Court’s Rules Committee).