Social Rights

The meeting, to be held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva on 8 October 2018, is the first engagement between the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) and the CoE European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR). It will offer the opportunity to understand both Committees’ procedures and challenges and to explore ways of cooperation.

The following topics will be discussed:

• the interpretation of the European Social Charter by the European Committee of Social Rights;
• the impact of the financial crisis and the austerity measures including the CESCR’s letter of 2012 to States parties on the criteria for the adoption of austerity measures;
• CESCR’s general comments and statements;
• the impact of the decisions taken under the collective complaints procedure;
• the justiciability of social rights and the impact of this justiciability on national courts;
• practical co-operation between the two Committees and other international mechanisms.