Among the 165 conventions which have meanwhile been adopted by the Council of Europe are the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the European Social Charter, the European Cultural Convention, the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, and the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Dignity of the Human Being with Regard to the Application of Biology and Medicine. Violations of human rights can be brought before the European Commission of Human Rights and the European Court of Human Rights.

The Council of Europe has 40 member states. Since 1990 it has admitted 1 6 member states from Central and Eastern Europe. The enlargement of the Council of Europe has not yet been completed: The Transcaucasian states (Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan) as well as Belarus and the states of former Yugoslavia (Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia) are further potential candidates for accession, and most of them have already submitted an application for accession. The organization’s appeal transcends the geographical boundaries of Europe as well: The United States, Japan and Canada have been granted observer status. Non-European states have acceded to or participate in conventions and partial agreements of the Council of Europe.

On 2 October 1995 Germany ratified Protocol No. 11 to the Convention on Human Rights, which sets up a single permanent Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. Germany has also ratified the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment as well as the two additional protocols thereto. The Federal Government is striving for ratification of both the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages before the end of 1997.