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| Council of Europe Secretariat | |
|---|---|
| Name | Council of Europe Secretariat |
| Formed | 1949 |
| Headquarters | Strasbourg |
| Region served | Europe |
| Parent organization | Council of Europe |
Council of Europe Secretariat The Secretariat is the central administrative organ of the Council of Europe, providing technical, legal, and policy support to bodies such as the Committee of Ministers, the Parliamentary Assembly, and the European Court of Human Rights. It operates from Strasbourg and coordinates activities across member states including France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom. The Secretariat interfaces with international institutions such as the United Nations, the European Union, and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.
The Secretariat traces its origins to the post‑war founding of the Council of Europe alongside figures associated with the Treaty of London, the Council of Europe founding conference in The Hague, and early advocates like Winston Churchill and Alcide De Gasperi. During the Cold War era it engaged with initiatives related to the Helsinki Accords, NATO, and the Marshall Plan, while collaborating with agencies such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. After the revolutions of 1989 and the enlargement waves that brought Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and the Baltic states into European multilateral frameworks, the Secretariat expanded bureaux and directorates to manage legal harmonization connected to the European Convention on Human Rights, the Schengen acquis, and post‑communist democratic transition programs. Reforms in the 1990s and 2000s, influenced by events like the Yugoslav Wars, the Madrid Summit, and the ratification of new protocols, reshaped the Secretariat’s mandate and relations with institutions such as the European Commission, the Court of Justice of the European Union, and the Organization for Economic Co‑operation and Development.
The Secretariat is organized into directorates and departments that mirror portfolios found in international organizations such as the European Commission, the United Nations Secretariat, the World Health Organization, and the International Criminal Court. Principal divisions include legal affairs linked to the European Court of Human Rights, human rights directorates comparable to Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch engagement desks, democracy and rule of law units with interfaces to the Venice Commission and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, and cultural heritage teams coordinating with UNESCO and the Council of Europe’s cultural conventions. Administrative support services encompass finance and budget functions similar to those in the European Central Bank, human resources aligning with International Labour Organization standards, and information technology operations resembling systems at the European Space Agency. Regional cooperation sections interact with member states such as Spain, Greece, Portugal, Turkey, and Russia, while thematic bureaux engage civil society organizations including the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and Transparency International.
The Secretariat prepares reports and draft decisions for the Committee of Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly, administers treaty processes for instruments like the European Convention on Human Rights and the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, and provides monitoring and advisory services in areas addressed by the European Court of Human Rights and the Commissioner for Human Rights. It organizes conferences, training, and capacity‑building in partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Council of Europe Development Bank, and the World Bank, and supports election observation missions working alongside OSCE/ODIHR and the Office for Democratic Institutions. The Secretariat also facilitates cooperation on standards comparable to those promoted by the International Organization for Standardization and coordinates anti‑corruption initiatives relating to the Group of States against Corruption and the Financial Action Task Force.
Top officials include the Secretary General, Deputies, Directorates’ Directors, and the Commissioner for Human Rights who liaise with heads of state and government such as the Presidents of France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom; ministers from Sweden, Norway, Netherlands, and Belgium; and leaders from candidate countries like Ukraine and Georgia. Senior legal advisors interact with judges of the European Court of Human Rights, members of the Parliamentary Assembly (including representatives from Poland, Hungary, and Romania), and diplomats accredited to the Committee of Ministers. The Secretariat’s leadership frequently engages with counterparts at the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, the Organisation for Economic Co‑operation and Development, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The Secretariat acts as the executive and servicing body for the Committee of Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly, drafting agendas, preparing background memoranda, and implementing decisions in coordination with national delegations from member states such as Austria, Switzerland, Finland, and Ireland. It supports rapporteurs and committee chairs of the Parliamentary Assembly and provides legal classification comparable to services in the European Parliament and the Inter‑Parliamentary Union. The Secretariat also manages follow‑up mechanisms for resolutions and recommendations, interacting with national authorities, ombudsmen, and administrative courts in member states, and liaising with international judicial bodies including the European Court of Justice and ad hoc tribunals.
Staff comprise international civil servants recruited under conditions similar to those of the United Nations, the European Commission, and the World Health Organization, including experts seconded from national administrations of Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, and Turkey. Personnel categories range from translators and interpreters to policy advisers, legal officers, and programme managers, with professional associations reminiscent of the International Bar Association and the International Federation of Journalists. Working languages include English and French, paralleling practices at the European Court of Human Rights, while translation and interpretation services cover languages of member states such as Russian, German, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese.
The Secretariat’s budget is financed through statutory contributions from member states, managed with oversight from budgetary committees akin to those in the European Parliament and the International Monetary Fund, and audited by external auditors similar to the European Court of Auditors. Expenditure lines cover staffing, premises in Strasbourg, programme delivery with partners like the Council of Europe Development Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and information systems comparable to those in the European Central Bank. Financial controls and reform measures have been influenced by transparency initiatives from organizations such as Transparency International, the OECD Anti‑Bribery Convention, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.