Social Rights

Today, 3 October 2024, Rafael Benitez, Director of the Department of Social Rights, Health and Environment held an exchange of views with the PACE Committee on Social Affairs, Health, and Sustainable Development. During the exchange, Mr Benitez emphasised the importance of the Vilnius High-Level Conference for the European Social Charter and commended member states for reaffirming their commitment to social rights and social justice. He also said that the Vilnius Declaration duly recognises the crucial role of parliaments in strengthening social rights through legislative action.

Mr. Paul Galles, Chairman of the PACE Sub-committee on the European Social Charter addressed the report of the High-Level Conference from the perspective of the PACE participants. He praised the great dynamism of the debates, the impressive number of participating ministers and high-level officials, and pledged to keep the Charter on the agenda of PACE and parliaments. He welcomed the next High-Level Conference on the European Social Charter that will take place in 2026, under the auspices of the Presidency of the Republic of Moldova to the Council of Europe.

Mr Benitez highlighted important milestones, such as Iceland's ratification of the revised European Social Charter and the Republic of Moldova's acceptance of additional Charter provisions. However, he also underlined that on the whole progress has been slow, and the challenges identified by the Parliamentary Assembly during the “Turin Process” still remain to be addressed ten years after.  Therefore he called for more action from the parliaments  in support of the European Social Charter system including by stimulating ratifications of the revised European Social Charter and the Charter’s Protocols so that member States can show unity in their mission to defend social human rights.

Looking ahead, Mr Benitez outlined efforts to strengthen cooperation with the UN and the EU as strategic partners. Finally, he encouraged the Committee and PACE to make full use of the role conferred on them by the Charter, underlining that it is in times of crisis that we must demonstrate the solidity of our values and standards and apply them rigorously to support the most important resource this continent has: its people.