Respect of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and, in particular, of the European Court of Human Rights' judgments, is a crucial element of the Council of Europe's system for the protection of human rights, the rule of law and democracy and, hence, for democratic stability and European unification.

The department implements co-operation projects, programmes and activities designed to assist national authorities and other relevant stakeholders (national human rights institutions, civil society, legal professionals, universities, etc.) in two main areas: the effective implementation of the ECHR, and the independence and efficiency of justice.

The European Programme for Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP) supports the Council of Europe member states in implementing the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) at the national level, in accordance with the Committee of Ministers Recommendation (2004) 4, the 2010 Interlaken Declaration and the 2012 Brighton Declaration.

The Open Council of Europe Academic Networks (OCEAN) unite universities, research institutions and scholars from the Council of Europe´s 46 member states around the shared goal of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.

The principal role of the Steering Committee for Human Rights (CDDH), under the auspices of the Committee of Ministers, is to set up standards commonly accepted by the 46 member States with the aim of developing and promoting human rights in Europe and improving the effectiveness of the control mechanism established by the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Council of Europe Convention on Access to Official Documents (CETS No. 205), also known as the Tromsø Convention, is the first binding international legal instrument which recognises a general right of access to official documents held by public authorities and constitutes a milestone in the promotion of democratic governance, openness, participatory democracy and in the exercise of other human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Through bilateral and multilateral co-operation activities and projects, the Division for Cooperation in Police and Deprivation of Liberty plays a major role in assisting the Council of Europe members states to integrate its standards in their penitentiary, probation and law enforcement institutions.

The European Committee on Legal Co-operation (CDCJ) is an intergovernmental body which sets new standards – and regularly evaluates existing ones – in the field of public and private law. Its competence is defined by the priorities of the Council of Europe and the needs of member States; it has a well-known expertise, notably in the areas of family law, nationality, administrative law, justice and rule of law.

The Consultative Council of European Judges (CCJE) is an advisory body of the Council of Europe on issues related to the independence, impartiality and competence of judges. It is the first body within an international organisation to be composed exclusively of judges, and in this respect, it is unique in Europe.

Composed exclusively of prosecutors, the Consultative Council of European Prosecutors (CCPE) is an advisory body of the Council of Europe. It gives advice on issues related to the status of prosecutors and the exercise of their duties, in particular to facilitate the implementation of Recommendation Rec(2000)19 on the role of public prosecution in the criminal justice system.

The European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) is an innovative body entrusted with promoting and developing the tools and measures aimed at improving efficiency and quality of user-oriented judicial systems in the member States.