A workshop was organised in Chisinau on the engagement of the Ombudsperson institution, the Equality Council, trade unions, social partners, and civil society organisations in the monitoring system of the European Social Charter.

Training participants enhanced their knowledge on the Charter as an international treaty protecting social and economic rights and on the activity of the European Committee of Social Rights as a monitoring body of the Charter. Specific attention was paid to the reporting procedure to the Committee and the role each institution can have in the submission of additional information to the Committee. This will enable the Committee to make well-informed assessments and deliver thorough conclusions to guide policymakers in making informed legislative and policy decisions.

Tatiana Puiu, Vice-President of the European Committee of Social Rights, facilitated the workshop discussions and welcomed the increased interest of Moldovan civil society, national human rights institutions, and national equality bodies for social rights and the European Social Charter system.

The workshop highlighted the importance of partnership, the direct contribution of these institutions and the joint commitment to strengthen social and economic rights in the Republic of Moldova.

It is to be noted that in 2001, the Republic of Moldova ratified 63 out of 98 paragraphs of the European Social Charter, showing commitment towards improving the well-being and living standards of its citizens. Through the act of ratification, the country became legally bound to fulfil the rights enshrined in the Charter. The government bears the primary responsibility for preparing national reports on the implementation of the Charter and submitting them to the European Committee of Social Rights. The other institutions, including trade unions, social partners and non-governmental organisations may provide additional information to the Committee and contribute to the screening process.

The event was organised within the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan for the Republic of Moldova 2021-2024, and the Council of Europe project "Enhancing employment rights in the Republic of Moldova" which is co-funded by the Austrian Development Agency and the Council of Europe.