New York, 20 September 2022 (TDI): United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, António Guterres met Marija Pejčinović Burić, the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe.

The meeting took place on the 19th of September in New York. They discussed human rights issues, especially in the Ukraine crisis.

This meeting also paved a way for a stronger cooperative relationship between the United Nations and the Council of Europe.

The Council of Europe

The “European Council” must not be confused with the “Council of Europe” as both are two different agencies. The latter is an international human rights organization.

It was founded in 1949 to deal with the human rights situation of the Second World War. It has 46 member states, 26 of whom are a member of the European Union.

All member states have signed a treaty to protect human rights, democracy, and rule of law in the region. This treaty is named the European Convention on Human Rights and it is implemented by the European Court of Human Rights.

Due to its recent breaches in Ukraine, the Russian Federation has lost its status as a member state. The committee of ministers took this decision on the 16th of March 2022.

Also read: Council of Europe holds Committee of Ministers meeting

Efforts for the protection of human rights

All member states of the agency agree to be inspected under an independent monitoring system. This system monitors the compliance of that state with human rights and democratic practices.

The Council of Europe accomplished its milestone of abolishing capital punishment in 1997. No member state carried out the death penalty since 1997. It is one of its biggest accomplishments in securing human rights in the region.

The United Nations is a major partner of the Council of Europe as it is an ideal platform for global outreach. Due to its global nature, the UN constitutes an across-the-board partner. Both agencies look forward to stronger cooperation as a result of this meeting.

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