European Convention on Human Rights

The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) is a treaty adopted by the Council of Europe in 1950 to protect fundamental freedoms and human rights in Europe. It entered into force on September 3, 1953, and, along with its additional protocols, is considered a highly successful international human rights initiative.

The convention established enforcement mechanisms, including the European Court of Human Rights, which hears individual and interstate petitions. The court's decisions are binding on signatory states, often leading to changes in national laws to align with convention obligations. In 1998, reforms merged previous enforcement bodies into a single, reconstituted court to handle cases more efficiently.