Forced marriages in Council of Europe member states

A comparative study of legislation and political initiatives

Prepared by Ms Edwige Rude-Antoine Doctor of Law, Research Officer CERSES/CNRS

The Council of Europe

The Council of Europe is a political organisation which was founded on 5 May 1949 by ten European countries in order to promote greater unity between its members. It now numbers 46 European states.¹ The main aims of the Organisation are to promote democracy, human rights and the rule of law, and to develop common responses to political, social, cultural and legal challenges in its member states. Since 1989 it has integrated most of the countries of central and eastern Europe and supported them in their efforts to implement and consolidate their political, legal and administrative reforms.

The Council of Europe has its permanent headquarters in Strasbourg (France). By Statute, it has two constituent organs: the Committee of Ministers,

^1.     Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerba­ijan, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bul­garia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Lux­embourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Nether­lands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, "The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia", Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom.

composed of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the 46 member states, and the Parliamentary Assembly, com­prising delegations from the 46 national parliaments. The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe represents the entities of local and regional self-government within the member states.

The European Court of Human Rights is the judicial body competent to adjudi­cate complaints brought against a state by individuals, associations or other contracting states on grounds of violation of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Council of Europe and Equality between Women and Men

The consideration of equality between women and men, seen as a fun­damental human right, is the responsi­bility of the Steering Committee for Equality between Women and Men (CDEG). The experts who form the Committee
(one from each member State) are entrusted with the task of stimu-lating action at the national level, as well as within the Council of Europe, to achieve effective equality between women and men. To this end, the CDEG carries out

analyses, studies and evaluations, defines strategies and political measures, and, where necessary, frames the appropriate legal instruments.