On the 12th of December 2024, the Council of Europe and the Social Platform marked the International Human Rights Day by hosting a high-level roundtable discussion in Brussels, entitled: "Social Rights are Human Rights: The European Social Charter and the European Pillar of Social Rights in the follow-up to the Vilnius and La Hulpe Declarations".
Earlier this year, the Council of Europe’s Vilnius Declaration and the EU’s La Hulpe Declaration reaffirmed the importance of strengthening cooperation on the Social Agenda in fostering social cohesion, economic equality, and democracy. Building on this momentum, today's discussions explored ways to translate the two political declarations into practice, to increase synergy between the rights enshrined in the European Social Charter and the actions and policies of the European Pillar of Social Rights.
The event brought together representatives of governments, social partners, civil society, etc. The European Union was represented inter alia by Denis Genton, Director, European Pillar of Social Rights, Strategy, DG EMPL and Oliver Röpke, President of the European Economic and Social Committee. The Council of Europe was represented by the European Committee of Social Rights, the Department of Social Rights and the Council of Europe Office in Brussels.
President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), Oliver Röpke, set the tone for the event saying: "As President of the EESC, I am proud to reaffirm our commitment to advancing social rights as fundamental human rights. Today's roundtable highlighted the vital role of the European Social Charter and the EU’s Social Pillar in combating poverty, addressing exclusion, and fostering justice. By bridging these frameworks, we strengthen the foundation of a truly Social Europe. Together, we must continue to champion social dialogue, fairness, and solidarity, ensuring no one is left behind. This work is not just policy—it is a commitment to the values that unite and define us as Europeans."
Keynote speeches were delivered by Julie Gomis, representative of the French government and Vice-President of the Governmental Committee addressing the uneven commitment of EU member states to the Charter and Olivier de Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur for Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, discussing ways and means of embedding the Charter in EU law and policy.
Aoife Nolan, President of the European Committee of Social Rights, underlined the fact that "Enhanced EU and CoE collaboration to advance social rights has never been more important. Falling living standards, growing threats to democracy from authoritarian populism and the ever-more evident climate crisis makes clear that this work cannot be delayed."
Panel discussions also delved into practical solutions to enhance the integration of the Charter into EU goals and address contemporary challenges, including rising inequality and the shrinking of civil society space. With global crises such as the cost-of-living challenges, climate change, and ongoing conflicts heightening social exclusion and poverty, today's discussions aimed to chart a path toward a more inclusive and equitable Europe.
The event concluded with a call to action for stakeholders to align their efforts in preparing the work of the Council of Europe High-Level Conference on the European Social Charter, to be hosted by the Republic of Moldova in 2026, and the EU Porto Summit in 2025, as well as to make a joint contribution to the outcome document of the Second World Summit for Social Development to be held in Doha in 2025.
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