The Council of Europe is a non-military organisation in which European governments cooperate. The Netherlands attaches great value to this cooperation, which covers many areas. They include human rights, education, research, culture, architectural heritage, youth affairs, sport, legal matters, social problems, health, and regional and local government.
Much of the Council's work leads to official agreements, or conventions, signed by the member states. The best known is the 1950 European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.
