Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms is an international agreement that was signed in November 1950 by the members of the Council of Europe. The council is an organization of European nations that seeks closer unity among its members for economic and social progress. The agreement is sometimes called the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. It sets forth basic civil and political rights and freedoms to which all people are entitled. It also describes procedures for the enforcement of the convention. The agreement came into force in September 1953. Since then, new protocols (diplomatic documents) have modified procedures and expanded the list of rights set forth by the convention. Today, about 40 European nations are signers of the convention.
The rights protected by the convention include the right to a fair trial, freedom of expression, and freedom of religion. The agreement also bans torture and the death penalty and prohibits slavery. In addition, it forbids discrimination on the basis of race, sex, or religion. The European Court of Human Rights examines alleged violations of the convention. The court’s rulings are final and binding.
The Council of Europe drafted the convention in reaction to the experiences of World War II (1939-1945). The convention closely followed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which the United Nations adopted in 1948. Both agreements have since influenced numerous national constitutions and international treaties. In 2000, the United Kingdom began enforcing the Human Rights Act of 1998, which incorporated most of the convention’s rights into British law.
See also Civil rights ; Europe, Council of ; European Court of Human Rights ; Human rights ; Human Rights, Universal Declaration of .
