ABSTRACT
One source of influence has been the Council of Europe, an organisation formed in the aftermath of the Second World War to promote cultural, environmental and legal cooperation among member states. One of its earliest and most enduring achievements was the European Convention on Human Rights, which has exercised considerable influence over legal developments in member states. Other aspects of the Council's work are discussed in section 2 of this chapter, and the Council is acquiring a higher profile in regional affairs as several Central and Eastern European states have become members, swelling the numbers to over 40.
