Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionising our societies, enhancing innovation and opening up new opportunities. However, this technological leap also brings regulatory and ethical challenges that could pose a threat to our human rights. The Council of Europe is at the forefront of AI ethics and governance, aiming to create a balanced, ethical, and equitable future. It has created the world's first internationally binding legal text on the issue with the 2024 Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence.
The Council of Europe has been at the forefront of protecting children’s rights across the continent. Its work is rooted in the 1989 UN Convention on the rights of the child, which marked a pivotal moment when children were no longer seen as dependents but as individuals with their own rights. This international framework forms the basis of the Council of Europe’s own efforts to ensure children are safeguarded, empowered, and given opportunities to thrive.
Crime in all its forms is an attack on human dignity and the rule of law, posing significant challenges to individuals, communities and societies. The Council of Europe plays a pivotal role in countering different kinds of criminal behaviour, not only on the continent of Europe, but worldwide, setting high standards and allowing law enforcement and policymakers to act together to stop crimes such as corruption, money laundering and trafficking in human beings, and leading international cooperation in combating cybercrime and counterfeit medicines.
European cultural heritage represents an invaluable shared asset that transcends national boundaries, reflecting the languages, histories, and artistic expressions of Europe’s diverse peoples. The European Cultural Convention of 1954 laid the foundations for the Council of Europe’s work. Now, in a rapidly digitalising world, Europe’s cultural treasures face new challenges, including illegal trafficking, deliberate destruction and the unwanted effects of technological change. This has given a new impetus to the organisation’s work to protect and safeguard intangible European cultural heritage to the highest standards, encouraging cross-border cooperation and sharing of innovative cultural policies.
As technology evolves, threats to cybersecurity and digital rights grow more sophisticated, posing significant challenges to individuals, organisations, and nations. The Council of Europe champions the protection of human rights in the digital age by fostering secure, accessible, and equitable online space, ensuring that technology enhances rather than undermines democracy and the rule of law.
Democracy is the bedrock of a free and fair society. The Council of Europe, with its 46 member states, is dedicated to protecting and promoting democratic values across Europe. In recent years, as democratic rights face increasing challenges, the Council has stepped up its efforts to strengthen democratic institutions and promote democratic security and ensure all citizens can participate meaningfully in public life. Leaders at the 2023 Reykjavik Summit underscored their commitment to the Principles for Democracy as essential to preserving a peaceful, prosperous, and free society. The New Democratic Pact for Europe is the collective response to the threats European democracy faces.
Education has long been a cornerstone of the Council of Europe’s mission to promote human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. Since the signing of the 1954 European Cultural Convention, education has been harnessed to build cultural bonds, promote shared European values, and foster a sense of collective identity. Today, in the face of growing challenges, education remains as crucial as ever.
Elections lie at the heart of democracy, providing citizens with the opportunity to choose their leaders and influence public policies. However, challenges such as disinformation, foreign interference and unequal access to information threaten the integrity of electoral processes. The Council of Europe is actively committed to supporting free, fair, and transparent elections, highlighting how elections strengthen democracy.
The Council of Europe has long championed environmental protection through a human-rights approach. Through its pivotal conventions, the Council of Europe ensures that biodiversity conservation, disaster resilience and environmental preservation is tied to human dignity and wellbeing. Recently, the Council has intensified its efforts, recognising that the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment is a fundamental human right.
The Council of Europe plays a vital role in promoting inclusion and combatting discrimination, including racism and intolerance towards vulnerable groups such as national minorities, the LGBTI community and migrants. Through legally binding standards combatting discrimination, comprehensive monitoring and targeted co-operation activities, the Council of Europe advances equal opportunities and ensures that equality is a lived reality for all.
The freedom to express ideas, protect personal data and create without censorship are essential rights in any democratic society. Freedom of expression in the digital age faces new challenges, from online surveillance to misinformation and attacks on journalists. The Council of Europe plays a key role in safeguarding these rights through various initiatives and conventions that address the implications of artificial intelligence (AI), data privacy, and artistic freedom.
Gender equality is a cornerstone of modern democratic societies. Yet, despite all the steps to achieve gender equality in Europe, there are still persistent disparities in wages, access to opportunities, and political representation. Women still earn, on average, 13% less than men for equivalent work; they still face blocks to equal enjoyment of sport and creative arts; and they are still expected to shoulder the greatest burden of family life.
Healthcare is widely recognised as a fundamental human right. The Council of Europe strives to ensure healthcare remains, transparent, and human-rights-driven, challenging barriers to health inequality, and assures the safety of medicine across the continent.
Human rights are the Council of Europe's DNA, the founding principles that underpin everything we do, and one of the three pillars of our mission, along with democracy and defending the rule of law. The human-rights protection system built by the Council of Europe is seen at its strongest through the European Convention on Human Rights and the work of the European Court of Human Rights, which adjudicates cases brought by individual citizens against the government of countries they believe have violated their rights.
The rule of law is a cornerstone of protecting and promoting human rights and democratic governance. It guarantees that everyone is treated equally, that they have the right to challenge decisions through independent courts, and that public power is exercised transparently and accountably. This concept is essential to the Council of Europe’s mission to build strong human rights and democracy across its member states.
Social rights in Europe today form the bedrock of inclusive and just societies, enabling every individual to lead a life of dignity, security, and opportunity. The Council of Europe has taken a leading role in safeguarding these rights, ensuring they adapt to contemporary challenges such as poverty, migration, and the gig economy, as societies work to recover from global crises and address emerging social disparities.
Sport holds a unique place in our societies, not only as a source of health and entertainment but also as a tool to promote human rights, inclusion and democratic values. However, this sector faces significant challenges that must be stood up to, including doping, match manipulation, discrimination and violence at sporting events. For over five decades, the Council of Europe has played a central role in making sport more ethical, inclusive and secure.
Young people today face challenges that are substantially different to any generation that has gone before. Society is transforming: artificial intelligence and other technologies will impact our lives in a way not seen since the industrial revolution; climate change will bring potential existential challenges, and there is no longer any guarantee that economies and the quality of life will stay stable. The role of the Council of Europe in promoting youth rights will be central to managing these changes.
