The organisation of a Conference of Specialised Ministers is a traditional working method of the Council of Europe. The purpose of such conferences is to define and pursue the goals of the Council of Europe’s intergovernmental activities in their particular fields of competence. These conferences have a quasi-legal identity of their own in international relations.The practice began in Vienna in 1959 with the first Conference of Ministers responsible for Family Affairs. However, the working methods for such conferences were only formalised in 1971 with the adoption of Committee of Ministers Resolution (71) 44., which gives a list of conferences with which the Council of Europe "has a special working relationship".