O conselho da Europa: contribuicoes do passado, desafios da actualidade
In: Relações internacionais: R:I, Heft 9, S. 57-71
ISSN: 1645-9199
This article focuses on the contribution of the Council of Europe (CoE) to the promotion & safeguard of democracy, human rights & the rule of law in Western & Eastern Europe. It is divided in two sections. The first one is an account of how the Council developed a pattern of open & flexible inclusion of new & fragile democracies in the "European political mainstream," without ceasing to promote the development of civil society. The cases chosen here are the relations established with the Iberian states & those of Central & Eastern Europe. Section two highlights some of the legal & institutional innovations brought along with the existence of the CoE & the European Convention of Human Rights. In its conclusion, the author outlines a set of considerations for further reflection on the role of the Council of Europe in the post-9/11 world. Adapted from the source document.