ABSTRACT
The general rules of interpretation of international treaties have been codified in Article 31 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. This provision reflects customary international law and it has been repeatedly invoked by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). The resolution and recommendations of the Committee of Ministers are directly connected to the application of the Convention. The Committee of Ministers is not just an organ of the Council of Europe, it is also an organ of the Convention and it is composed of exactly the same States as those which are parties of the ECtHR. The fact that the competence of the Court to indicate execution measures has a solid legal basis does not mean that such power is unlimited. In a few judgments, the Court has indicated or even prescribed individual measures to be taken by the respondent State.
