Madame President, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I stand before you today with gratitude for the support and engagement provided by the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and the Assembly as a whole in the area of social rights including the High-Level Conference on the European Social Charter, held in Vilnius on July 4th under the auspices of the Lithuanian Presidency. This gathering, called for in the Reykjavik Declaration, became a reality only one year later and convened ministers, social partners, civil society, youth, and, of course, parliamentarians in a positive and constructive atmosphere.
The result of this collective effort is the Vilnius Declaration, an important political declaration which reinforced our commitment to social justice and the protection of social rights. It also recognised the crucial role national governments and legislatures play in advancing these rights, particularly through the ratification of treaties and acceptance of additional commitments under the Charter. Cooperation between Council of Europe entities, international organisations, and the EU was highlighted as key to this progress.
One of the conference's pivotal moments was the treaty event where countries like Andorra, Armenia, Moldova, and Ireland embraced additional provisions of the revised Charter. Iceland’s ratification of the revised European Social Charter is another important step toward building a more unified system of social rights protection across Europe. But, despite these gains, we must acknowledge that our journey is far from complete.
The Vilnius Conference took place ten years after the launch of the "Turin Process," which emerged in response to one of the worst socio-economic crises in Europe. Following Turin, the Parliamentary Assembly recognised the urgent need to improve compliance with the European Social Charter and encourage more ratifications by member states. Your Assembly acknowledged the necessity of making full use of the Charter system, including its collective complaints mechanism, a critical tool for addressing systemic social injustices.
Today, social rights are firmly on the European agenda, but we cannot become complacent. We look forward to the next High-Level Conference on the European Social Charter, to be hosted by Moldova in 2026, which will serve as another platform to push our mission forward. This is particularly important in view of the holding of the Word Social Summit next year, which is organised under the aegis of the United Nations and the contribution that the Council of Europe can make to the outcome document of the Summit.
As it stands, 42 of the Council of Europe’s 46 member states are parties to either version of the Charter, with 36 having ratified the revised version. But six countries still adhere to the 1961 Charter - Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Luxembourg, Poland and the United Kingdom, and 4 others - Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino, and Switzerland - have yet to ratify the Charter. This leaves significant gaps in the unity we need to defend social rights as human rights.
For EU member states, it can be difficult to comprehend why provisions in EU Directives aligned with the Charter have not yet been fully accepted by all. It should also be noted that while some countries like France, Italy, Portugal or Spain have embraced the revised Charter in its entirety, others have only done it partly, and many have yet to accept the Additional Protocol on collective complaints. Only 16 states have done so, leaving the untapped potential for resolving systemic issues related to disabilities, gender pay gaps, and labour rights.
The complexity of the Charter system, with its multiple versions, varying levels of commitment, and multiple protocols, underscores the importance of your role in this Assembly. You have the power to help simplify and stimulate greater commitment from member states to fully embrace the revised Charter.
The reform efforts initiated by the Committee of Ministers between 2021 and 2023 aimed to make the Charter system more user-friendly. Yet, we still face the challenge of ensuring its full implementation. Simplifying the reporting process, improving the collective complaints procedure, and fostering dialogue between Charter organs and national authorities are steps in the right direction.
In 2023, the European Committee of Social Rights requested an ad-hoc report on the cost-of-living crisis. These reports, which will be published in early 2025, will provide invaluable insights and recommendations on how to mitigate the impact of this crisis and ensure access to goods and services necessary for the full enjoyment of Charter rights.
I encourage this Committee and PACE to make full use of the upcoming report. It is in times of crisis that we must demonstrate the resilience of our values, apply our standards rigorously, and support the most vital resource on this continent - its people.
Our work doesn't stop at Europe's borders. We are also taking the agenda of social rights to the global stage. Just a few weeks ago, I had the honour of moderating a side event at the UN Summit of the Future, focused on making the social rights of youth a reality. This event underscored the importance of international cooperation to advance youth social rights and protection. Looking ahead, the World Summit for Social Development in Doha in November 2025 will be an important moment. With over 30 Council of Europe member states already sponsoring its organisation, this summit provides a critical opportunity for us to contribute to a concise, action-oriented political declaration on social development underlining the essential character of social rights in the human rights edifice.
In conclusion, while we have made significant progress, there is much more to be done. The ratification of the European Social Charter by the remaining states is crucial to showing the world that Europe stands united in its mission to protect social rights as human rights. With your continued support, I am confident that we will make even greater strides toward a future where every individual in Europe can fully enjoy their social rights.
Thank you.