How can National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) and National Equality Bodies (NEBs) engage with the European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) under the reporting procedure of the European Social Charter? This question will be addressed during an online training session, organised by the Council of Europe Department of Social Rights in collaboration with ENNHRI and EQUINET, on 9 February 2023.

More specifically, the objectives of the training are:

• to strengthen the knowledge of NHRIs/NEBs on the reporting procedure of the European Social Charter in order to encourage them to take an active part in it; 
• to present the questionnaire on children, families and migrants submitted to States Parties for reporting cycle 2023 and examine the opportunities for NHRIs and NEBs to submit reports to the ECSR on the relevant articles; 
• to share concrete experiences of NHRIs and NEBs on collecting, presenting and submitting reports to the ECSR. 

The training will gather representatives of the European Committee of Social Rights and the Council of Europe Secretariat and National Human Rights Institutions and Equality Bodies. 

Background information
In the framework of the reporting procedure, certain organisations, including National Human Rights Institutions and Equality Bodies, are entitled to submit comments (also called alternative reports) to thematic or simplified national reports. 

In 2023, the ECSR will examine national reports concerning the provisions belonging to thematic group 4 “children, families and migrants”. Organisations are therefore invited to submit their alternative reports on the provisions belonging to group 4, by 30 June 2023. In their reports, organisations must refer to the national report and to the targeted questions transmitted to the States Parties to the Charter. National reports are available on the European Social Charter website under "country profiles".

Belgium, Bulgaria, Italy, Ireland, Finland, France, Greece and Portugal, are exempted from submitting a thematic report on group 4. Instead, these states submitted a simplified report on the follow-up to the ECSR's decisions collective complaints. 

Comments on national reports can be submitted to the Secretariat of the Department of Social Rights by email (social.charter@coe.int) or by mail at the following address:

Department of Social Rights
Directorate General Human Rights and Rule of Law 
Council of Europe 
1 quai Jacoutot, F-67075 
Strasbourg Cedex, France