This document starts with emphasizing the wish of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to promote and consolidate pluralist democracies. “A political opposition in and outside parliament is an essential component of a well-functioning democracy […] Consequently, the Assembly invites the parliaments of the member states to reform or update their rules on the rights of the opposition or parliamentary minority and encourages them to draw up a charter on the rights of the opposition, or to define the status of the opposition in parliament, taking inspiration of the guidelines which can be found in the second part of the document.