On 1 November 2018, it was the twentieth anniversary of the entry into force of Protocol No. 11 and the setting up of a single, full-time ECtHR. The protocol also established the right of individual petition to over 800 million Europeans. Following the entry into force of Protocol No. 11 on 1 November 1998, the new, permanent Court replaced the existing European Commission and Court of Human Rights in order to strengthen the efficiency of the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. In the last 20 years, the new Court has dealt with more than 800,000 applications, delivering nearly 21,000 judgments.

Speaking at a seminar organized during the Finnish presidency of the CoE on 26 November 2018, ECtHR President Raimondi hailed the establishment of the new Court as a landmark in the development of international human rights protection. He further noted that only a little over 58,000 applications are currently pending before the Court, which is down from the high number of 160,000 applications pending in 2011.