The Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights is an independent and impartial non-judicial institution established by the Council of Europe to promote awareness of and respect for human rights in the Council's 46 member states.
The Office monitors each member state's compliance with human rights protocols and conventions and issues country reports. It also documents thematic work whereby the Commissioner provides advice and raises awareness of human rights issues.
Advice regarding human rights concerns is most often addressed to all member states in the form of recommendations, opinions, reports and issue papers published by the Commissioner. The Commissioner's regular ‘Human Rights Comments' and ‘Viewpoint' articles on topical issues can also be found on the website.