The Council of Europe occupies a unique place in the international political landscape of Europe –the guardian of human rights, a symbol of hope, with the task of cultivating a Europe where democracy and the rule of law flourish and the mistakes of previous decades cannot easily be repeated. Its work is more important today than ever, covering almost the entire continent, in 47 member states and among 800 million citizens. Since 1949, politicians, diplomats,lawmakers, judges and experts of many kinds have come to the Council of Europe to share their knowledge, experience and ideas and contribute to a common vision of what Europe could be – an even better place to live for all
