“There is a huge problem in Europe with the violation of children’s rights: in 2024, some 95 million children are at risk of poverty and social exclusion – that’s almost 25% of all children in Council of Europe member states. Poverty has a devastating impact on all aspects of child development and is often passed on from generation to generation,” said Michael O’Flaherty, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, at the European Social Charter High-Level Conference on Social Rights.
O’Flaharty emphasized that this is why the fight against child poverty has become one of the priorities of his mandate as Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights
He added that many people, especially women, face blatant discrimination in accessing health care, many parents “are forced to make the difficult choice every day of whether to feed or clothe their children”
He said the situation is particularly dire for members of vulnerable groups, such as Roma or LGBT people.
“I want us all to strive to achieve the goals that are enshrined in the revised European Social Charter and to ensure real social justice and equality,” the commissioner said.
The European Committee of Social Rights is the main body of the European Social Charter. Its chairwoman Aife Nolan noted that the conference in Moldova takes place “against the backdrop of a Europe where the social rights of many have been minimized due to the rising cost of living, climate change, post-pandemic crises and the conflict in Ukraine, which is destroying our world”.
Nolan also pointed to the growing democratic crisis in Europe, which has much to do with declining trust in governments and democratic institutions due to the failure to enforce legal standards, labor protections and social inclusion.
“The link between democratic stability, security, sustainability and the realization of social rights has never been more relevant in Europe. There can be no democracy without social rights,” concluded the Committee Chair.
During the day on Thursday, March 19, participants at the High-Level Conference will discuss concrete measures to ensure equal access to social services, fight poverty and discrimination, and share best practices in implementing the norms of the European Social Charter. Representatives of Member States will be invited to adopt a declaration reflecting their commitment to social rights and the European Social Charter and proposing further actions.
The Conference is supported by the Council of Europe and the Moldovan Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.
