European Social Charter
The event will take place on March 18-19 at the Palace of the Republic, with the support of the Council of Europe and the Moldovan chairmanship of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers.
According to announcement of the Council of Europe, the conference will focus on strengthening the protection and realization of social rights in Europe. The main objectives are to increase the recognition and ratification of the Charter, to strengthen political commitment and partnership, as well as to underline the Charter’s role as the basis of the European human rights system.
Participants will discuss the contribution of social rights to democratic stability and security, reducing social inequalities and preventing threats to democracy. Special attention will be paid to the future of labor and challenges related to technological change, artificial intelligence, new forms of employment and the transition to a green economy.
High representation
On the Moldovan side, the main participants of the conference will be President Maia Sandu and Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu, as well as Minister of Labor and Social Protection Natalia Plugaru.
Among the foreign participants are high-ranking European officials, including Secretary General of the Council of Europe Alain Berset, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Petra Bair, President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe Mark Kuls, President of the European Court of Human Rights Matthias Guiomar. Also expected are Michael O’Flaherty, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Carlo Monticelli, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Council of Europe Development Bank, Aoife Nolan, Chairman of the European Committee of Social Rights and its Vice-Chairman George Theodosis, and Diana Johnson, UK Employment Minister.
In addition, representatives of the European Commission, UNFPA, EESC, International Labor Organization, European Institute for Gender Equality, International Trade Union Confederation and other European and international structures will participate.
The conference will conclude with the adoption of the Chisinau Declaration, which will reaffirm the collective commitment to social rights and the European Social Charter, as well as propose further measures for their realization.
