HELSINKI — Over 30 European foreign ministers have gathered in the Finnish capital to mark the 70th anniversary of the continent’s key human rights body, the Council of Europe. The festivities were dampened somewhat by Russia’s continued threat to pull out of the organization due to a long-running dispute over Crimea. The 47-member Council of Europe was founded in 1949 by Belgium, Britain, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden as an upholder of democracy, human rights and rule of law. The Council’s probably best-known unit is the European Court of Human Rights, which enforces the European Convention on Human Rights. The organization is entirely separate from the European Union, though it works in close cooperation with the 28-member bloc.

Source: Washington Post May 16, 2019 18:12 UTC