The Council of Europe is the continent’s leading human rights organization and was founded in 1949.

The objectives of the Council of Europe include the protection of human rights, pluralistic democracy and the rule of law, to develop and promote European cultural identity and diversity, to find common solutions to the problems facing European society, such as xenophobia, intolerance, bioethics and cloning, discrimination against minorities, terrorism, human trafficking, organized crime and corruption, cybercrime and violence against children, and to strengthen democratic stability in Europe by supporting legislative and constitutional reforms.

The main bodies of the Council of Europe are the Secretariat (led by the Secretary General), the Committee of Ministers, the Parliamentary Assembly (PACE), the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, the European Court of Human Rights, the Commissioner for Human Rights, and the Conference of International Non-Governmental Organizations. It consists of 47 member states, including 28 of the member states of the European Union.
      
The history of relations between Azerbaijan and the Council of Europe dates to 1992. Thus, on January 24, 1992, the Parliament of the Republic of Azerbaijan applied to the Council of Europe for the status of “special guest”. 

In February 1995, the Bureau of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) initiated consideration of Azerbaijan's application for the status of "special guest" in accordance with recommendation No. 1247 (1994), which provides for the right of three states of the South Caucasus to apply for membership in the Council of Europe.

At the meeting of the European Commission for Democracy (Venice Commission) held on March 17-18, 1996, Azerbaijan was accepted as a member of this commission. 
In June 1996, the Bureau of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, considering the efforts of Azerbaijan in the direction of democratic state building, decided to grant the country the status of a "special guest".

On September 11, 1996, resolution (96) No. 32 was adopted at the 573rd meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Council of Europe, providing for the intensification of negotiations with the authorities of Azerbaijan and the provision of assistance in the form of cooperation programs to accelerate the democratic process in Azerbaijan. 

On January 20, 1998, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan signed a decree "On measures to deepen cooperation between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Council of Europe and protect the interests of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Europe."

The regular session of PACE took place on June 26-28, 2000; During the voting with the participation of 126 deputies, 120 people voted in favor, 1 person - against, 5 people abstained, and a positive conclusion was given on the admission of the Republic of Azerbaijan to full membership of the Council of Europe.

On January 17, 2001, at the meeting of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, held at the level of representatives, a decision was made to accept the Republic of Azerbaijan as a full member of the Council of Europe. Azerbaijan became a member of the Council of Europe on January 25, 2001 and ratified the European Convention on Human Rights on December 25th, 2001. This marked the beginning of a new stage in the history of our country's relations with Europe. 
 

Recommended literature:

1. Vəliyev, Adil İsrayıl oğlu. Azərbaycan-Avropa Şurası : demokratiya və insan hüquqları sahəsində əməkdaşlıq: monoqrafiya / A. İ. Vəliyev ; elmi red. Ə. M. Həsənov ; Azərbaycan Respublikasının Prezidenti yanında Dövlət İdarəçilik Akademiyası. - Bakı : Elm, 2006. - 236 s. 
2. Dünyamalıyeva, Nigar Zahid qızı. Beynəlxalq təşkilatlar : dərslik / N. Z. Dünyamalıyeva ; elmi red. K. Məmmədov. - Bakı : Füyuzat, 2019. - 400 s. 
3. Мутагиров, Джамал Зейнутдинович. Международные политические институты : актуальные проблемы истории и теории: учебное пособие / Д. З. Мутагиров. - М. : Университетская книга : Логос, 2009. - 384 с.