The Council of Europe was established on 5 May 1949 and is today the oldest pan-European international organisation. At present, it has 47 member states that have committed themselves to protect human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

The main tasks of the Organization include:

- Protecting human rights, democracy and the rule of law;

- Promoting awareness and encouraging the development of Europe’s cultural identity and diversity;

- Finding common solutions to the challenges facing European society (discrimination against minorities, xenophobia, intolerance, environmental protection, bioethics, trafficking in human beings, organised crime, violence against children, etc.);

- Consolidating democratic stability in Europe by backing political, legislative and constitutional reform.

Bodies and institutions of the Council of Europe:

- Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe;

- Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE);

- Congress of Local and Regional Authorities;

- Secretary General of the Council of Europe;

- European Court of Human Rights;

- Commissioner for Human Rights.

The current political mandate was laid down by Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe member states at their Third Summit in Warsaw in May 2005.

Member states of the Council of Europe include: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Kingdom. Montenegro was the last to join the Council of Europe on 11 May 2007, whereas Belarus, which applied for membership in 1993, still awaits an invitation to join the Organization. Canada, Japan, Mexico, the Holy See and the United States of America hold observer status in the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. Israel, Canada and Mexico hold observer status in PACE.

Slovenia applied for full membership of the Council of Europe on 29 January 1992, and was admitted to the Organisation on 14 May 1993. In its opinion on Slovenia’s membership application, PACE stated no special conditions for its joining the Organization. Slovenia has become a successful member state with the acknowledged high level of respect for human and minority rights and the established democratic institutions and the rule of law. On the basis of a Council of Europe initiative, an Information and Documentation Centre was opened in Ljubljana in 1997. Following years of operation, the Centre has become the information point of the Council of Europe in Slovenia. It has organised a number of events within the broader scope of CoE activity, particularly in the field of protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms; in addition, the Centre has provided translations of many documents and conventions of the Council of Europe. For more information, please check out the Council of Europe’s website.

Slovenian citizens have the possibility to apply for employment or traineeship at the Council of Europe. The selection of candidates from Council of Europe member states is carried out through public tenders published by the Council of Europe. In addition, every citizen of the Republic of Slovenia who has successfully completed at least three years of university study and has an excellent knowledge of one of the Council of Europe’s official languages (English or French) may apply for a three-month unpaid traineeship. For more information on employment and traineeship, see the website of the Council of Europe.