Members

Governments of member States are invited to designate one or more representatives of the highest possible rank in the relevant field, with expertise at national level for the implementation of democratic principles and/or the planning, development and implementation of policies in the field of democracy, governance, elections, civil society, civil participation in political and public life, digitalisation and other aspects of democratic institutions and processes.

The Council of Europe will bear the travel and subsistence expenses of one representative from each member State (two in the case of the State whose representative has been elected Chair).

Each member of the Committee shall have one vote. Where a government designates more than one member, only one of them is entitled to take part in the voting.


 

Participants

The following may send representatives, without the right to vote and at the charge of their corresponding administrative budgets:

  •  Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe;
  • Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe;
  • European Court of Human Rights;
  •  Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe;
  •  Conference of INGOs of the Council of Europe;
  • European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission);
  •  Gender Equality Commission (GEC);
  •  Steering Committee on Anti-discrimination, Diversity and Inclusion (CDADI);
  •  Advisory Council of Youth (CCJ);
  •  Committees or other bodies of the Council of Europe engaged in related work, as appropriate.

The following may send representatives, without the right to vote and without defrayal of expenses:

  • European Union (one or more representatives, including, as appropriate, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA));
  •  Observer States to the Council of Europe: Canada, Holy See, Japan, Mexico, United States of America;
  •  Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD);
  •  Office for Democratic Institutions and Human rights (ODIHR-OSCE).
     

Observers

The following may send representatives, without the right to vote and without defrayal of expenses:

  •  non-member States with which the Council of Europe has a Neighbourhood Partnership including relevant co-operation activities;
  •  European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI).

Observer status may be requested in accordance with Article 8 of Resolution CM/Res(2021)3 on intergovernmental committees and subordinate bodies, their terms of reference and working methods.