Frame analysis of European human rights: the construction of realities surrounding migration, climate change, and authoritarianism by the Council of Europe

Journal article

Since its establishment in 1949, the Council of Europe (CoE) has not only played a crucial role in the development of ‘European’ human rights law, but also in the construction of an image of Europe associated with human rights. The exact meaning(s) and politics of the notion of ‘Europe’ omnipresent in the works of all organs of the CoE, and how it shapes the imagination and practice of human rights remain understudied. The Symposium introduced by this article attempts to fill this gap by leveraging frame analysis. It asks how Europe is framed in human rights and in turn how human rights are framed in Europe and with what discursive and legal consequences by focusing its attention on three themes: authoritarianism, migration, and climate change. This introduction brings together insights on how these three themes are framed by the CoE, paying particular attention to the shifts therein that seek to reconcile the contradictions between its image of Europe and its member states’ policies and practices. It also includes a general introduction to frame analysis and identifies some common themes on the functioning of frames and framing that lay the groundwork for future use of frame analysis in the context of European human rights law.

Authors: Demir-Gürsel, E; Theilen, JT; Çalı, B

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• Journal: International Journal of Human Rights
• Volume: 30
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 333-353
• Publication date: 2026-01-23
• Acceptance date: 2025-12-04
• DOI: 10.1080/13642987.2025.2605353
• EISSN: 1744-053X
• ISSN: 1364-2987
• Language: English