On May 24-29, 2021, the Spring School "European Social Charter - social constitution of Europe and the main challenges for Ukraine" organized by the Council of Europe Project "Promoting social human rights as a key factor of sustainable democracy in Ukraine" was held online.

Among the participants of the school were students from 10 higher educational institutions  of Ukraine (Vasyl Stus Donetsk National University, Kyiv Institute of Intellectual Property and Law of the National University "Odessa Law Academy", National Academy of Internal Affairs, Mykhailo Drahomanov National Pedagogical University, Institute of Law of Kyiv National University Taras Shevchenko National University, Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Odessa Regional Institute of Public Administration of the National Academy of Public Administration under the President of Ukraine, Yaroslav the Wise National University of Law, Mykhailo Kotsyubynsky Vinnytsia State Pedagogical University, Odessa University of Law and National Academy of Law Zaporizhzhya Collegium "Elint").

Participants learned about the European Social Charter (ESC) as the social constitution of Europe, the fundamental international legal treaty that forms the basis of the European system of human rights protection along with the European Convention on Human Rights, and the peculiarities of its ratification by Council of Europe State Parties.

The rights enshrined in the Charter were widely considered in the light of their interpretation and the case law of the European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR).

"We are very lucky with the participants, as with future professionals who will later implement, in particular, the standards of the European Social Charter. I sincerely wish all those who have participated in the spring school to convert the acquired knowledge into skills", said Ms Siuzanna Mnatsakanyan, Senior Project Officer of the Council of Europe Project "Promoting social human rights as a key factor of sustainable democracy in Ukraine".

Particular attention was paid to the implementation of Ukraine’s commitments under the European Social Charter, the implementation of the ECSR recommendations provided to Ukraine, as well as the application of the ESC and case law of the ECSR by Ukrainian national courts and courts in the other countries.

The lecturers of the school were well-known Ukrainian scientists and practitioners, national experts of the Council of Europe:

• Ms Alla Fedorova - national consultant of the Council of Europe, Candidate of Law, Associate Professor, Institute of International Relations of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv;

• Ms Svitlana Synchuk - national consultant of the Council of Europe, expert in social law of the Ukrainian Center for Social and Legal Studies, Doctor of Law, Professor, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv;

• Mr Volodymyr Burak - expert in social law of the Ukrainian Center for Social and Legal Studies, Associate Professor of the Department of Social Law, Candidate of Law, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv;

• Mr Bogdan Mojsa - national consultant of the Council of Europe, analyst of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union;

• Ms Ella Kataeva - judge of the Odessa District Administrative Court, Candidate of Law, coach of the National School of Judges of Ukraine.

During the spring school, the lecturers presented a number of important presentations, as well as acquainted with important thematic publications:

• European Social Charter: the fundamental treaty of the Council of Europe in the field of human rights: history of development, evolution, features
• Prohibition of discrimination in the European Social Charter. Case law of the European Committee of Social Rights on the prohibition of discrimination in employment and occupation
• Implementation of the European Social Charter and Ukraine's commitments: key challenges
• Educational rights in the European Social Charter
• Health protection in the European Social Charter
• The right to protection in cases of dismissal in the European Social Charter
• The right to social security in the European Social Charter
• The right to freedom of association in the European Social Charter
• The right to work and just conditions of work in the European Social Charter
• The right of the elderly to social protection in the European Social Charter
• Analysis of the Council of Europe's legal framework for the protection of social rights in Europe
• Statement by the European Committee of Social Rights on the interpretation of the right to health during a pandemic
• Handbook of European legislation on non-discrimination
• Ways to assess labor relations in cases of concluding civil contracts in accordance with European law and case law in European countries