On 19 March 2026 a high-level conference on social rights and the European Social Charter was hosted by the Council of Europe and the Republic of Moldova’s Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, in Chişinău, Republic of Moldova.

The President of the Court, Mattias Guyomar, highlighted the legal and institutional complementarity between the Convention and the Charter, two solid pillars based on two treaty frameworks. Together, they ensure a comprehensive system for the protection of human rights considered as a whole: civil and political rights and social and economic rights form an indivisible whole, the components of which are all interdependent.

“The European Social Charter – which is truly a social constitution for Europe – serves as an interpretative compass for the Court, which refers to it when ruling on cases that fall within its scope”, he stated.

The President ended his speech by emphasising that “full respect for human rights cannot be ensured without social justice”.

The conference provided an opportunity for the member States of the Council of Europe to reaffirm their commitment to social justice and give further undertakings under the Charter.

• Online speech by President Mattias Guyomar (in French only)