Council of Europe Liaison Offices  

The Council of Europe’s liaison offices help to develop and maintain effective cooperation with international organisations and institutions. Their work contributes to the organisation in three main areas:

Facilitating the exchange of information through following up high-level contacts and avoiding unnecessary overlaps; identifying opportunities for cooperation and joint action through providing advice and support from planning and negotiation through to implementation and reporting; and increasing the Council of Europe’s visibility through their permanent presence and engagement with diplomatic, media, academic and civil society communities.

The Council of Europe has liaison offices in Brussels, New York, Geneva, Vienna and Warsaw, which enhance the Council of Europe’s relations with international organisations, notably including the European Union, the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

Where are the Council of Europe offices?

The individual offices have the following roles:

  • The Brussels Office liaises with the European Union: contributes to the development of the three pillars – political dialogue, legal cooperation and cooperation projects – of the Council of Europe–EU strategic partnership. The Brussels office plays an increasing role in the further development and institutionalisation of consultations with EU representatives at the highest levels. It also regularly participates in formal and informal coordination mechanisms focusing on legal and project cooperation.
  • The New York Office acts as the Permanent Observer office of the Council of Europe to the United Nations in New York: opened in August 2026, it develops and promotes relations with the United Nations bodies and institutions in New York. It conducts a proactive diplomatic, media, academic and civil-society policy in order to raise the visibility of the organisation.

         Read more about our New York office

  • The Geneva Office acts as the Permanent Delegation of the Council of Europe to the United Nations Office and other international organisations in Geneva: regularly arranges and provides Council of Europe contributions to the Universal Periodic Review UPR) and actively participates in the work and activities of the UN Human Rights Council. It develops and promotes relations with the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), liaises with relevant UN specialised agencies, in particular the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), International Labour Organization (ILO), International Organization for Migration (IOM), as well as with other relevant international organisations in Geneva. It conducts a proactive diplomatic, media, academic and civil society policy in order to raise the visibility of the Council of Europe.       
  • The Vienna Office liaises with the OSCE and other international organisations, also acting as permanent delegation of the Council of Europe to the United Nations Office in Vienna: through information and in-depth analysis of developments within the OSCE, in particular daily first-hand information about crisis situations, it helps to increase synergies, and identify opportunities where a targeted Council of Europe presence or intervention brings added value. It develops and further strengthens cooperation with the United Nations in Vienna, in particular the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
  • The Warsaw Office liaises with the OSCE/ODIHR, the Community of Democracies and other international organisations in Warsaw: further develops, in particular, Council of Europe–ODIHR relations, including enhancing mutual cooperation. It also actively contributes to upgrading the Council of Europe’s standing, visibility and role in the OSCE human dimension implementation meetings in Warsaw.