THE CHARTER AT A GLANCE

The European Social Charter is a Council of Europe treaty that guarantees fundamental social and economic rights as a counterpart to the European Convention on Human Rights, which refers to civil and political rights. It guarantees a broad range of everyday human rights related to employment, housing, health, education, social protection and welfare.

The Charter lays specific emphasis on the protection of vulnerable persons such as elderly people, children, people with disabilities and migrants. It requires that enjoyment of the abovementioned rights be guaranteed without discrimination.

No other legal instrument at pan-European level can provide such an extensive and complete protection of social rights as that provided by the Charter, which also serves as a point of reference in European Union law; most of the social rights in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights are based on the relevant articles of the Charter.

The Charter is therefore seen as the Social Constitution of Europe and represents an essential component of the continent’s human rights architecture.

 

FOCUS

The European Committee of Social Rights publishes its review on Social Rights and Cost of Living Crisis

19/03/2024 Strasbourg

Today, during a launching event, the European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) has published a review focused on the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on social rights across Europe. The review provides a detailed overview of the challenges faced by states in safeguarding the rights enshrined...

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High-level conference on the European Social Charter, Vilnius, 4 July 2024

High-level conference on European Social Charter adopts political declaration emphasising social justice and human rights

Today, at the High-level conference on the European Social Charter in Vilnius, ministers, deputy ministers and high-level representatives from the Council of Europe member states, adopted a political declaration and reaffirmed their collective duty to promote respect for, and the continuing...

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Contact

Department of Social Rights

Directorate General of Human Rights and Rule of Law
Council of Europe
1, quai Jacoutot
F – 67075 Strasbourg Cedex

Tél. +33 (0)3 90 21 49 61

www.coe.int/socialcharter

@CoESocialRights

 

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