The IYurophu YaseYurophu Yamalungelo Abantu (ECHR) yamkelwa ngokubanzi njengesivumelwano esibalulekileyo nesisebenzayo samazwe ngamazwe sokukhusela amalungelo abantu. Ibe nendima ebalulekileyo ekuphuhliseni nasekukhuliseni ulwazi ngamalungelo oluntu eYurophu. Kwaye ibenempembelelo enkulu ekwenziweni komthetho kuninzi lwamazwe aseYurophu. Kunzima ukugqithisa ukubaluleka kwayo. Kwiinkalo ezininzi iYurophu iye yaba yindawo ebhetele yokuhlala kwisiqingatha senkulungwane edluleyo, yaye iECHR iye yadlala indima ebalulekileyo ekuphumezeni oku.
Amalungelo oluntu abonwa njengesixhobo esisisiseko ngamagunya aphambili emva kweMfazwe yesiBini yeHlabathi ukunqanda okona kunyhashwa kwamalungelo oluntu okwenzeka ngexesha lemfazwe ukuba kungenzeki kwakhona.
Ukuyilwa kwezixhobo zokuqala zamalungelo oluntu, i Isibhengezo seHlabathi samaLungelo oLuntu, kwaye emva koko uMnqophiso wamalungelo oluntu wezizwe ngezizwe, waqaliswa ngaphakathi kwinqanaba leZizwe eziManyeneyo kamsinya emva kokuphela kweMfazwe yeHlabathi yesiBini. Nangona kunjalo yayiqhuba kancinane, ngokuyinxenye ngenxa yeembono ezahlukeneyo malunga nokuba amalungelo oluntu ayintoni na okanye ekunokuvunyelwana ngawo. Oku kusenokuba negalelo elikhulu kangangokuba kwagqitywa ekubeni kutyhalwe phambili kwi-ajenda yamalungelo oluntu eYurophu kunye nakwiNkongolo yaseYurophu eyayibanjwe ngoMeyi 1948.
Isibhengezo kunye nesibambiso sokudala iNgqungquthela yaseYurophu sakhutshwa kwiNkongolo. Inqaku lesibini nelesithathu lesiSithembiso lathi: “Sinqwenela uMqulu we Amalungelo abantu iqinisekisa inkululeko yokucinga, yokuhlanganisana kunye nokuthetha ngokunjalo nelungelo lokuseka inkcaso yezopolitiko. Sinqwenela iNkundla yoBulungisa enezohlwayo ezaneleyo ukuze kuphunyezwe lo Tshatha.”
Ngehlobo lika-1949, ngaphezu kwe-100 amalungu epalamente asuka kumazwe angamalungu alishumi elinesibini eBhunga iYurophu yadibana eStrasbourg kwintlanganiso yokuqala ngqa yeBhunga leNdibano yoNxibelelwano (indibano yamalungu epalamente, namhlanje eyaziwa njengeNdibano yePalamente). Baye badibana ukuze bayile “umqulu wamalungelo oluntu”, okwesibini ukuseka inkundla yokuwunyanzelisa.
Emva kweengxoxo ezibanzi, iNdibano yathumela isindululo sayo sokugqibela kwisigqeba esithatha izigqibo seBhunga, iKomiti yabaPhathiswa. Abaphathiswa babize iqela leengcaphephe ukuze baphonononge kwaye bagqibezele iNgqungquthela ngokwayo.
Kwaxoxwa ngeNgqungquthela yaseYurophu yaye umbhalo wayo wokugqibela waqulunqwa leli qela leengcaphephe, elaliquka oonozakuzaku abasuka kwiMinistries yamazwe angamalungu. Bazama ukubandakanya indlela yenkululeko yoluntu ekukhuseleni "idemokhrasi yezopolitiko esebenzayo", ukusuka kwizithethe zase-United Kingdom, eFransi nakwamanye amazwe angamalungu eBhunga elitsha laseYurophu.
I-European Convention on Human Rights yavulwa ukuba ityobelwe ngomhla wesi-4 kuNovemba 1950 eRoma, yaza yaqalisa ukusebenza ngomhla wesi-3 kuSeptemba 1953.
