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Activities and Events 2010

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CONFERENCES. WORKSHOPS, STUDY VISITS
6 December 2010 Malta A Seminar on non-accepted provisions of the Revised Charter was held in Malta on to allow for an exchange of views and information on the provisions of the Revised Charter which have not be accepted by Malta.  It was attended by two members of the European Committee of Social Rights, Mr Andrezj Swiatkowski and Ms Jarna Petman, as well as two administrators from the Department of the European Social Charter, Ms Niamh Casey and Mr Gerald Dunn. Programme
29 November 2010 Strasbourg, France

A workshop on recent developments in the collective complaints procedure held in Strasbourg provided an opportunity to bring together members of the European Committee of Social Rights, government authorities of the 14 countries bound by the Additional Protocol providing for a system of Collective Complaints and the representatives of a selection of INGOs in order to exchange views and information on the collective complaint mechanism. It was held in honour of Mrs Polonca Koncar, President of the Committee, whose mandate ends at the end of this year.

 More information
17 to 18 November 2010 Vologda, Russian Federation

Seminar on the Revised Social Charter, Volgoda 07112010A Seminar on the Revised Charter
was held in Vologda from 17 to 18 November 2010 with the aim of providing training of governmental officials and other legal professionals in the legal requirements of the Revised Charter, as well as providing assistance in the drafting of the first report on the application of the Revised Charter by Russia. This seminar is attended by Mr Matti MIKKOLA, former President of the European Committee of Social Rights and Mr Régis BRILLAT, Head of the Department of the European Social Charter.

 Programme
8 to 10 November 2010 Ankara, Turkey A Round Table on the protection of social rights in Ankara, was organised in the framework of a joint project  on enhancing the role of the supreme judicial authorities in respect of European standards Programme
15 October 2010 Moscow, Russian Federation A workshop in Moscow (Russian Federation) on the European Social Charter, was organised in the framework of a co-operation programme of the INGO Conference of the Council of Europe for strengthening civil society in Russia  entitled "The European Social Charter and the concept of social cohesion : modern approaches".  On this occasion a presentation of the European Social Charter and its Article 14 (right to benefit from social welfare services) was  given given by Mr Ramon Prieto-Suarez, Administrator in the Department of the Social Charter. Programme
14-15 October 2010 Strasbourg  (France) Europan Youth Centre, Council of Europe

International Colloquy on fondamental rights in the workplace, 14-15 October 2010, organised by the the research foundation  l'Europe en mutation : histoire, droit, économie et identités culturelles (A changing Europe: history, law, economy and cultural identity) of Strasbourg University in the context of mondialisation. 

Programme

More information 
30 September 2010 Budapest, Hungary Presentation of the European Social Charter at the European Youth Centre in Budapest
 In the context of  a  project organised by the Directorate of Youth and Sport on the theme of access to social rights for young people from disadvantaged neighbourhoods, Mr Régis BRILLAT, Head of the Department of the European Social Charter presented the Social Charter and underlined its importance in this context.

Draft programme
More information
21 to 24 September  2010 Seville, Spain An international colloquy on social rights was held from  21 to 24 September including presentations by three members of the European Committee of Social Rights,  Mssrs. Jean-Michel BELORGEY, Luis JIMENA QUESADA, Petros STANGOS, and two administrators from the Department of the European Social Charter, Mr Régis BRILLAT, Head of Department, and Mrs Isabelle CHABLAIS.  Programme
20 September 2010 Taillinn, Estonia Mrs Polonca KONCAR, President of the European Committee of Social Rights and Mr Lauri Leppik, member of the Committee, as well as Mr Henrik Kristensen, Deputy Head of the Department of the European Social Charter met with Estonian authorities in Tallinn  in the framework of the procedure on non-accepted provisions.

Programme
13 September 2010 Strasbourg (Agora)

The Secretary General highlights the indivisibility of human rights
Exchange of views with the Secretary General and the European Committee on Social Rights Mr Thorbřrn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, participated in a fruitful exchange of views with the members of the European Committee of Social Rights, during which he emphasised the indivisibility of human rights and the complementarity of the European Social Charter and the European Convention on Human Rights. Mr Jagland recognised the importance of increasing awareness of the collective complaints procedure and the Revised European Social Charter, with a view to encouraging further ratification of these instruments by States Parties.

  
9 July 2010 Tbilissi (Georgia) A meeting on non-accepted provisions of the European Social Charter was held in Tbilissi on 9 July 2010. Programme
21-22 June 2010 Strasbourg (France) Conference on Actions and Collective strategies in the field of Human RightsStrasbourg (France)
Mr Petros STANGOS, Member of the European Committee of Social Rights gave a presentation on the decisions of the Committee and their impact at a Conference entitled "Actors, collective strategies and the European field of Human Rights".  		Mr. Stangos' speech (French only)
 Programme
18 to 19 June 2010.  Graz (Austria) Conference in Graz (Austria) on Council of Europe human rights monitoring bodies
Conference in Graz on monitoring bodies, June 2010A conference entitled "Creating synergies and learning from each other: strengths and weaknesses of Council of Europe expert bodies monitoring human rights" was  held in Graz from 18 to 19 June 2010.  This conference was attended byMr Andrzej SWIATKOWSKI, member of the European Committee of Social Rights and Mr Henrik KRISTENSEN, Deputy Head of the Department of the European Social Charter. 		Programme
16 to 18 June 2010 Milan (Italy)

International Conference on the legal status of Roma and Sinti
An international conference on "The legal status of Roma and Sinti in Italy" was held in Milan (Italy) from 16 to 18 June 2010.  On this occasion, Ms Rovena DEMIRAJ, Administrator in the Department of the European Social Charter spoke of the housing rights of Roma and Sinti and the Revised European Social Charter.

 Programme
 Conference website
16 to 18 June 2010 Barcelona (Spain) A three day training session "European Justice and the Persons involved" was held in Barcelona.  On this occasion, Mr Luis JIMENA QUESADA, Member of the European Committee of Social Rights,  directed  a workshop on the European Social Charter and minority rights. Programme Web site of the European Judicial Training Network
15 June 2010 Moscow (Russian Federation).

Moscow Seminar 15 June 2010A seminar on the European Social Charter was held  in Moscow (Russian Federation). The aim of this seminar was to assist the Russian authorities in drafting their first national report on the Revised Charter and to provide comprehensive information on the Charter with a view to a wider application of this instrument.  Mr Colm O'CINNEIDE, member of the European Committee of Social Rights and Mr Matti MIKKOLA, former member, participated in this seminar, as well as Mr Régis BRILLAT, Head of the Department of the European Social Charter and Ms Ana RUSU of the Department of the European Social Charter.

 		Programme
Programme (Russian version)
 2 to 3 June 2010 St. Petersburg (Russian Federation) Training for Russian prosecutors, St Petersburg, June 2010In the framework of a joint programme with the European Union, a training session for Russian prosecutors was held in St. Petersburg (Russian Federation). On this occasion, Mrs Ana RUSU of the Department of the European Social Charter gave a presentation on the Revised European Social Charter as a complement to the European Convention of Human Rights. Programme
24-25 May 2010 Warsaw, Poland Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, Warsaw 25052010On the occasion of European Year of Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion,  ATD Fourth World-Poland has organised an international conference entitled "Extreme poverty and human rights -- a challenge for Poland, a challenge for Europe". This  conference was attended by Mr Régis BRILLAT, Head of the Department of the European Social Charter. Programme
Mr Brillat's presentation (French only)
24 to 25 May 2010 Baku (Azerbaijan) The Conference of Ministers responsible for Equality between Women and Men held in Baku (Azerbaijan)  was attended by Mrs Jacqueline MARECHAL, First Vice President of the Governmental Committee of the Social Charter. On this occasion Mrs MARECHAL spoke of the way in which the legal framework of the Charter allows for the safeguard of a number of economic and social rights pertaining to equality between women and men. Presentation of Mrs Maréchal
19 to 20 May 2010 European Court of Human Rights Strasbourg In the framework of a  joint project  on enhancing the role of the supreme judicial authorities in respect of European standards, a study visit of  members and judges of the Turkish Constitutional Court was held at the Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.  Mr Rüchan IŞIK,  member of the European Committee of Social Rights and Mr Régis BRILLAT, Head of the Department of the European Social Charter, participated in this visit. Programme
 6 May 2010  Barcelona (Spain) The European Federation of National Organisations working with the Homeless (FEANTSA) has organised a Conference in the framework of its Housing Rights Watch project, entitled "Housing Rights: from theory to practice"; This conference provides an opportunity to discuss housing rights at European and national level.  Mr Régis BRILLAT, Head of the Department of the European Social Charter will speak of the important role of the European Social Charter and the collective complaint mechanism. Programme
More information on the Housing Rights Watch network
16 April 2010 Skopje ("the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia") A seminar on the Revised Charter was held in Skopje to provide comprehensive information on this instrument  with a view to its ratification by  "the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia".   The seminar was attended by a member of the European Committe of Social Rights, Mr Luis JIMENA QUESADA, as well as two administrators from the Department of the European Social Charter, Ms Nino CHITASHVILI and Ms Rovena DEMIRAJ. Programme
14-16 April
2010		 Ankara (Turkey) In the framework of a joint project  on enhancing the role of the supreme judicial authorities in respect of European standards, a Round Table was held in Ankara from 14-16 April 2010.  The meeting was attended by Mr Régis BRILLAT, Head of the European Social Charter, as well as Mr Rüchan IŞIK, member of the European Committee of Social Rights, and Mr Tekin AKILLIOĞLU, former member of the Committee.  Programme 
24 March 2010 Belgrade (Serbia) Seminar on the European Social Charter, Belgrade, 24/03/2010Following Serbia's ratification of the Revised Charter in September, a seminar was held in Belgrade on  with the aim of providing information and assistance to Serbian authorities to allow for a wider application of this instrument.  This seminar was attended by two members of the European Committee of Social Rights,  Mr Rüçhan IŞIK and Ms Jarna PETMAN, as well as two adminstrators from the Department of the European Social Charter, Ms Niamh CASEY and Mr Gerald DUNN.  Programme
 
15 March 2010   The European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) held an exchange of views with the President of the Court of Justice of the European Union, Mr Vassilios Skouris in the presence of the President of the European Court of Human Rights, Mr Jean-Paul Costa. (more)   
3-5 March 2010 St. Petersburg (Russian Federation)
 Mrs Elena VOKACH-BOLDYREVA, Council of Europe expert on the European Social Charter, presented the Revised Charter as a completion of the European Convention of Human Rights at a training session organised for prosecutors from 3 to 5 March in St. Petersburg (Russian Federation). She also spoke of the process of ratification of this instrument by the Russian Federation.
 Programme
4 March 2010 Sofia (Bulgaria) A workshop organised by the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC), the Commission for the Protection against Discrimination and the Bulgarian Committee for Helsinki was attended by Mr Petros STANGOS, member of the European Committee of Social Rights and Mr Régis BRILLAT, Head of the Department of the European Social Charter.  The aim of this workshop was the analysis of decisions taken by the Committee  since 2006, in which Bulgaria was found to be in violation of the Revised Charter (notably  concerning Roma and handicapped persons and the rights to housing,  education, and to  social and medical assistance). Programme
11 February 2010 Ufa (Russian Federation) <11/02/2010> In the framework of a joint programme with the European Union, a seminar for Russian lawyers was held in Ufa (Russian Federation) from 11 to 12 February 2010.  On this occasion Ms Ana RUSU of the Department of the European Social Charter, presented the Revised European Social Charter as a completion of the European Convention of Human Rights. Programme
3 February 2010 Athens (Greece) A Seminar on “The role of the European Committee of Social Rights” organised by the International Society of Labour Law and Social Security, was held in Athens (Greece).  Mr Petros STANGOS, member of the Committee, gave a presentation of the collective complaints procedure, and Mr Régis BRILLAT, Head of the Department of the European Social Charter, spoke of the influence of the Committee on domestic law in the States Parties to the Charter.  
14 January 2010 Bern, Switzerland
 		 At its session of 11 January 2009, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Council of States in Bern held a hearing on the European Social Charter. On this occasion, Mr Régis BRILLAT, Head of the Department of the European Social Charter, was invited to present the Revised Charter. Presentation of Mr Brillat (French only)

CONCLUSIONS
31 March 2010
 At their 1081st meeting  the Ministers' Deputies adopted Resolution CM/ResChS (2010) 4 on the implementation  of the European Social Charter (revised)  and Resolution CM/ResChS (2010) 3 on the implementation of the European Social Charter, during the period 2005-2006 (concerning the provisions relating to employment, training and equal opportunity).  The resolutions were adopted on the basis of  abridged reports submitted by the Governmental Committee of the European Social Charter, relating to Conclusions XIX-1 (2008) (European Social Charter) and Conclusions 2008 (Revised European Social Charter).
27 January 2010 The European Committee of Social Rights published its Conclusions in respect of 36 States Parties to the Charter. These Conclusions concern the rights related to health, social security and social protection.