The Committee of Ministers (CM) is the Council of Europe's decision-making body. Its role and functions are described in Chapter IV of the Statute. The CM meets at ministerial level and at Deputy level (the Ministers' Deputies).

In accordance with Article 14 of the Rules of Procedure of the CM, each Minister for Foreign Affairs appoints a Deputy to act on his behalf outside the meetings held at the level of the Ministers for Foreign Affairs.

The Committee of Ministers meeting at Deputy level is empowered to deal with all matters within the competence of the Committee of Ministers and to take decisions on its behalf. Decisions taken by the Deputies have the same force and effect as decisions taken by the Committee of Ministers meeting at the level of the Ministers for Foreign Affairs. The Deputies do not, however, take decisions on any matter which, in the view of one or more of them, should by reason of its political importance be dealt with by the Committee of Ministers meeting at ministerial level.

Meetings of the Deputies are organised along the following lines, whilst maintaining some flexibility:

• 3 Deputies’ meetings per month, in principle on a Wednesday;
• the Deputies’ Human Rights (DH) meetings, devoted to the supervision of the execution of judgments of the Court in compliance with Article 46 of the European Convention on Human Rights, take place at least 4 times a year for a duration of two or three days;
• extraordinary meetings may be convened by the Chair on urgent matters.

The Deputies are assisted by the Bureau and by their rapporteur and working groups.