# Council of Europe Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law (CETS No. 225)

- **Record type**: Policy instrument
- **Jurisdiction**: Council of Europe
- **Instrument type**: Act / statute
- **Status**: Adopted
- **Binding**: Yes
- **Issuing body**: Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe
- **Adopted**: 2024-05-17
- **Published**: 2024-09-05

## In brief

Framework Convention on AI (CETS 225) is a binding act of the Council of Europe, issued by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. It was adopted on 17 May 2024. Obligations fall on state parties for the public sector; parties choose how to address private-sector AI activities. The first international treaty on AI.

## Summary

The first international treaty on AI. Parties must adopt or maintain measures so that activities within the lifecycle of AI systems are consistent with human rights, democracy and the rule of law, covering public authorities and actors on their behalf and, by choice of approach, private actors. It sets principles (human dignity and autonomy, transparency and oversight, accountability, equality and non-discrimination, privacy, reliability, safe innovation), requires remedies, procedural safeguards and risk and impact assessment, allows moratoria or bans for incompatible uses, and creates a Conference of the Parties for follow-up. National-security activities and defence are excluded.

## Scope

Obligations fall on state parties for the public sector; parties choose how to address private-sector AI activities. Activities related to national security and research and development not yet in use are excluded.

## Who it applies to

States and the EU that ratify; public authorities and private actors through implementing measures.

## Key dates

2024-05-17: adopted by the Committee of Ministers; 2024-09-05: opened for signature in Vilnius; entry into force after five ratifications (three from member states).

## Notes on dates

Entry into force date not confirmed from the treaty office at the time of checking.

## Dated deadlines

- 2024-09-05 — Opened for signature (precision: exact, status: scheduled)
- date not set — Entry into force (precision: tbd, status: scheduled)

## Provenance

- **Permanent id**: AIPT-POL-0055 (https://aipolicytracker.org/id/AIPT-POL-0055; never changes or gets reused)
- **Record page**: https://aipolicytracker.org/policies/council-of-europe-framework-convention-on-ai
- **Official source**: https://www.coe.int/en/web/conventions/full-list?module=treaty-detail&treatynum=225
- **Source document**: Framework Convention on AI (CETS No. 225)
- **Published by**: Council of Europe
- **Review status**: verified
- **Confidence**: high
- **Facts last confirmed**: 2026-09-26
- **Confirmed by**: Bhaskar Bhatt (see https://aipolicytracker.org/reviewers)
- **Retrieved**: 2026-10-27
- **Licence**: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
- **Cite as**: AIPolicyTracker (2026). "Council of Europe Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law (CETS No. 225)" [AIPT-POL-0055, record version 1, verified 26 September 2026 by Bhaskar Bhatt]. https://aipolicytracker.org/id/AIPT-POL-0055 (accessed 27 October 2026).

> This record is a structured summary with a link to the official text. It is not legal advice. Open the official source before relying on any date or duty. How current each record type must be is published at https://aipolicytracker.org/verification; what a record must carry at all is published at https://aipolicytracker.org/coverage.