Social Rights

From 9 to 10 October 2025, 19  law students from across Georgia gathered in Tbilisi, to take part in the final stage of an intensive capacity-building initiative on the European Social Charter (ESC). This initiative culminated in a two-day moot court competition, which simulated proceedings before the European Committee of Social Rights. The event followed a four-day Summer School, which equipped students with practical knowledge of the ESC, its monitoring mechanisms, and the protection of social and economic rights in Europe.

During the competition, students acted as legal practitioners, drafting written submissions and presenting oral arguments to test  their ability to apply ESC standards to complex legal scenarios. Taking part in the moot court strengthened the students legal reasoning and advocacy abilities and encouraged their critical reflection on how European and Georgian legal frameworks interact to advance social rights.

The competition was evaluated by a diverse jury composed of Ms Nino Chitashvili, Lawyer at the Department of Social Rights of the Council of Europe, Ms Tatiana Puiu, vice-president of the European Committee of Social Rights, Dr Nikolaos A. Papadopoulos - an international expert to the Council of Europe with relevant expertise, Mr Giorgi Chkheidze, national expert to the Council of Europe with relevant expertise in Law, Ms Rusudan Kvachantiradze,  national expert to the Council of Europe with expertise in communication and advocacy (soft skills) and Ms Ekaterine Gasitashvili, former Judge, lawyer and a lecturer of Law. This multidisciplinary composition ensured that students received balanced, high-quality feedback from both international and national perspectives.

The Deputy Head of the Council of Europe Office in Georgia, Svetislav PAUNOVIC, greeted the participants and congratulated the winning team during the award ceremony, acknowledging the students’ achievements and the value of their engagement with ESC standards in practice.

The winning team, composed of Nana Mchedlishvili, Gvantsa Takashvili and Nino Javakhishvili, from Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University will take part in a study visit to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. This will enable students to deepen their understanding of the work of the European Committee of Social Rights and enhance their practical knowledge of European human rights mechanisms.

The event was organised within the framework of the Council of Europe Project “Further Enhancement of Social and Economic Rights in Georgia.” The Project is implemented as part of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Georgia 2024-2027.