Gender budgeting                            

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

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, Slovak Republic, Slove­nia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedo­nia", Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom.

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, 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 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 ground 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 stimulating 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.