The Isivumelwano saseYurophu Emalungelo Abantu (ECHR) saziwa kabanzi njengesivumelwano samazwe ngamazwe esibalulekile nesisebenzayo sokuvikela amalungelo abantu. Ibe nendima ebalulekile ekuthuthukisweni nasekuqwashiseni ngamalungelo abantu eYurophu. Futhi kube nomthelela omkhulu ekwenzeni umthetho emazweni amaningi aseYurophu. Kunzima ukweqisa ukubaluleka kwayo. Ezicini eziningi iYurophu isiyindawo engcono yokuhlala engxenyeni yokugcina yekhulu leminyaka, futhi i-ECHR iye yadlala indima ebalulekile ekufezeni lokhu.
Amalungelo abantu abonwa njengethuluzi elibalulekile yiziphathimandla eziholayo ngemva kweMpi Yezwe Yesibili ukuze kuvinjelwe ukwephulwa kwamalungelo abantu okwenzeka phakathi nempi ukuthi kungenzeki futhi.
Ukubhalwa kwezikhali zokuqala zamalungelo abantu, i Isimemezelo Somhlaba Wonke Samalungelo Abantu, futhi ngemva kwalokho iSivumelwano samalungelo abantu samazwe ngamazwe, saqalwa ngaphakathi kweNhlangano Yezizwe Ezihlangene ngemva nje kokuphela kweMpi Yezwe Yesibili. Nokho ibiqhubeka kancane, ngokwengxenye ngenxa yemibono ehlukene mayelana nokuthi amalungelo abantu ayeyini noma okwakungavunyelwana ngawo. Lokhu kungenzeka ukuthi kwaba nomthelela omkhulu wokuthi kwanqunywa ukuthi kuqhutshekwe phambili ohlelweni lwamalungelo abantu e-Europe kanye nakuCongress of Europe eyayibanjwe ngoMeyi 1948.
Isimemezelo nesifungo sokudala Ingqungquthela YaseYurophu sakhishwa kuKhongolose. Isihloko sesibili nesesithathu seSithembiso sathi: “Sifisa uMqulu we Human Rights eqinisekisa inkululeko yokucabanga, ukuhlangana nokukhuluma kanjalo nelungelo lokusungula iqembu eliphikisayo lezepolitiki. Sifisa iNkantolo Yezobulungiswa enenswinyo eyanele ukuze kuqaliswe lo Mqulu.”
Ehlobo lika-1949, amaphalamende angaphezu kwekhulu avela emazweni angamalungu ayishumi nambili oMkhandlu Europe sahlangana eStrasbourg emhlanganweni wokuqala ngqa woMkhandlu Wokubonisana Womkhandlu (umhlangano wamaPhalamende, namuhla owaziwa ngokuthi iPhalamende LePhalamende). Bahlangana ukuze babhale “umqulu wamalungelo abantu”, futhi okwesibili ukusungula inkantolo ezowuphoqelela.
Ngemuva kwezinkulumo-mpikiswano ezinde, uMkhandlu wathumela isiphakamiso sawo sokugcina esigungwini esithatha izinqumo soMkhandlu, iKomidi Longqongqoshe. ONgqongqoshe babize ithimba lochwepheshe ukuze babuyekeze futhi baphothule Ingqungquthela ngokwayo.
Kwaxoxwa nge-European Convention futhi umbhalo wayo wokugcina waklanywa yileli qembu lochwepheshe, ingxenye yalo eyayinamanxusa avela eMnyangweni wamazwe angamalungu. Babefuna ukuhlanganisa indlela yendabuko yenkululeko yomphakathi ukuze bathole "intando yeningi yezombusazwe ephumelelayo", kusukela emasikweni ase-United Kingdom, eFrance nakwamanye amazwe angamalungu oMkhandlu waseYurophu owawusanda kumiswa.
I-European Convention on Human Rights yavulwa ukuba isayinwe ngomhlaka-4 Novemba 1950 eRome, futhi yaqala ukusebenza zi-3rd September 1953.
