Social Rights

Today, a delegation of the European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) met with representatives of the Latvian authorities in Riga to discuss the provisions of the European Social Charter not yet accepted by Latvia. The meeting took place under the auspices of the Council of Europe and the Ministry of Welfare of the Republic of Latvia. The aim of the meeting was to promote acceptance of additional commitments under the European Social Charter by Latvia, to examine the situation in law and practice in relation to the provisions of the Charter that have not yet been accepted by that State Party, to clarify the standards applied by the ECSR and to discuss the prospects for acceptance of the collective complaints procedure.

The meeting was opened by Ms. Diāna Jakaite, Deputy State Secretary, Ministry of Welfare and Ms. Aoife Nolan, President of the ECSR. Information was presented by representatives from the Latvian Ministry of Welfare, the Ministry of Economics, the Ministry of Health and the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs.  ECSR General Rapporteur, Ms. Kristine Dupate, and ECSR Vice-President, Ms. Tatiana Puiu, responded with comments in light of the ECSR’s case law.

The ECSR also held bilateral meetings with  Mr. Ingus Alliks, State Secretary of the Ministry of Welfare and Mr. Reinis Uzulnieks, Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Welfare of Latvia.