Social Rights

A one-day workshop on “Rights and Rurality: from Recognition to Action” took place today at the Council of Europe Office in Brussels, bringing together National Human Rights Institutions, Equality Bodies, academics and civil society organisations to discuss socio-economic inequalities affecting rural communities across Europe.

The event followed discussions from the meeting of the COE-FRA-ENNHRI-EQUINET Platform in Edinburgh, in October 2025, which had highlighted how people living in rural areas often faced reduced access to essential services such as healthcare, housing, education, transport, energy, and digital connectivity.

The workshop focused on taking practical action in response to these challenges. Participants discussed how to utilise existing legal frameworks, such as the European Social Charter and its monitoring procedures. They also explored ways to collect and utilise data for advocacy and policy design relevant to rural areas. Additionally, they shared practical experiences and tools for documenting and addressing violations of socio-economic rights in rural areas. The meeting also aimed to strengthen cooperation between institutions and develop practical approaches to applying a 'rural human rights lens' to policy development and monitoring.

The event was organised within the COE-FRA-ENNHRI-EQUINET Collaborative Platform on Social and Economic Rights. One of the objectives of this platform is to foster collaboration and encourage action among National Human Rights Institutions and Equality Bodies to help ensure that social rights are realised equally.