The Council of Europe, a leading European organization, was founded 65 years ago to promote cooperation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation. Founded in 1949, it has 47 member states with some 800 million citizens. Many of these countries are also members of the European Union (28) and NATO (27). This factor reduces the Council’s clout turning it into a hostage of perilous geopolitical games.

The organization’s first moves appeared to be of reconciliatory nature. The founding document was signed on May 5, 1949 in London by 10 states: Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Norway, Great Britain, France and Sweden. No Germany, though the reconciliation with the former enemy was a goal. It’s not an occasion that Strasburg was chosen to host the organization. This city is situated at the German border; it has seen many wars as a target to be captured by troops.

Article 1(a) of the Statute states that «The aim of the Council of Europe is to achieve a greater unity between its members for the purpose of safeguarding and realizing the ideals and principles which are their common heritage and facilitating their economic and social progress». Therefore, membership is open to all European states which seek European integration, accept the principle of the rule of law and are able and willing to guarantee democracy, fundamental human rights and freedoms».

Formally the stated aim is always in focus, but with a reservation. The countries of socialist block were excluded from membership and thus destitute of the right to take part in the discussions devoted to the issues of importance for the whole continent. Besides, those were the days of stand-off between the two systems with all the leverage concentrated in the hands of NATO, an alliance created almost at the same time as the Council of Europe. It made the Council an organization of secondary importance turning it into an instrument of anti-Soviet policy implemented by the United States and its Western allies.

As Russia, along with some states of Central and Eastern Europe, joined the Council in the 1990s, the situation appeared to be changing for the better but not for a long time. The return to global stand-off at the beginning of the 2000s made the Council of Europe get back to where it was. There are forces in the West that make the organization meet their own interests. There is an internal conflict between the bodies making part of the Council and it gets exacerbated. Many European leaders are inclined to boost all-European cooperation and get Russia involved in the process while the members of Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) hone their skills to launch attacks against the Russian Federation. The crisis in Ukraine has made it all come to surface and take definite shape. The leaders of the Council appear to take an impartial stance. They criticize the regime in Kiev among other things. For instance, Anne Brasseur, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, called on all sides to de-escalate situation and return to what was agreed in Geneva. «I am extremely concerned by the information coming from Ukraine about the resumption of violence, including in the city of Slavyansk», she said, adding, «I call on all sides to urgently de-escalate the situation and end all violent or provocative actions and return to what was agreed in Geneva, particularly as regards the disarmament of illegal armed groups currently active in Ukraine».

At the very same time the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopts resolutions that put all the blame on Russia for anarchy and nationalism going on a rampage in Ukraine today. It looks like kind of epilepsy with different command centers giving mutually exclusive orders to further discredit the Council of Europe.

It should be noted that the organization has actually stopped to tackle acute social, economic and human rights issues – the problems that plague European states.

Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland had to admit in his recent report that Europe faced a human rights crisis which was a real burning problem. According to him, «Human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Europe now face a crisis unprecedented since the end of the Cold War. Serious violations – including corruption, immunity from prosecution, impunity, human trafficking, racism, hate speech and discrimination – are on the rise throughout the continent. People’s rights are also threatened by the impact of the economic crisis and growing inequalities. The Council of Europe and its member States must act urgently to stop this erosion of fundamental rights».

[1] International Human Rights Acts. Collection of documents. Moscow, 1998, p. 537.