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Resolution 2032 (2015) Final version
Equality and the crisis
1. The economic crisis has hit the
majority of Council of Europe member States with a long-term impact
on the population which goes beyond the economic sphere. The crisis
has resulted in higher unemployment, has undermined social cohesion,
and is responsible for greater poverty, rising inequalities and
income gaps, increasing discrimination and intolerance, social tensions
and rising support for populist political parties and movements.
2. Austerity measures have been one of the main responses to
the crisis. The Parliamentary Assembly is deeply concerned that,
by undermining equal opportunities and cutting funding for social
programmes and equality bodies, the economic crisis and austerity
measures have had a negative impact on the enjoyment of human rights
and equality, disproportionately affecting vulnerable categories
of people, including women, young people, people with disabilities,
older people and migrants.
3. The economic crisis has also diminished the level of trust
in the political system and weakened the spirit of solidarity in
society. When exercising their role of democratic scrutiny, parliaments
should assess the human rights impact of measures proposed by governments.
4. A responsible response to the economic crisis should take
into account its potential impact on the population with a long-term
perspective and cannot take the form of short-term measures only.
Budgetary cuts should not be blind to human rights and equality.
In this respect, human rights and equality impact assessments are
essential in order to take informed decisions and mitigate, as far
as possible, the impact of austerity measures on vulnerable categories
of people.
5. Maintaining a high level of social protection and combating
inequalities can contribute to stimulating growth and to reducing
poverty in the long term. Positive measures to protect vulnerable
categories of people and their participation in society should be
preserved as far as possible so as to guarantee social protection floors
and social cohesion and to prevent a backlash against social rights.
The Assembly is convinced that social justice is beneficial in the
long term, both economically and socially. By ensuring the accountability
of decision makers, investing in equality and working for inclusion
and a participatory approach, everyone can contribute to promoting
a vision of society based on solidarity and respect for human rights.
6. Human rights standards include a positive obligation for States
to identify groups at risk and take into account their vulnerabilities
when formulating policies. In this regard, the European Social Charter
(revised) (ETS No. 163) is a key instrument for the protection of
social rights, including in times of economic crisis. The Assembly
welcomes the ratification of the European Social Charter (revised)
by 33 member States and hopes they will be followed by others as
soon as possible.
7. In the light of these considerations, the Assembly calls on
the member States to:
7.1. invest
in equality as a way of tackling the economic crisis and take measures
to mitigate its impact on the most vulnerable categories of people;
7.2. carry out human rights and equality impact assessments
in co-operation with national human rights institutions and take
into account a long-term perspective when developing economic and
social policy responses to the crisis;
7.3. facilitate increased co-operation with social partners
and organise regular consultations with representatives of national
human rights institutions, social partners and civil society in
order to discuss a co-ordinated approach to the economic crisis
and to adjust policies according to needs;
7.4. set up, where relevant, structures based on the model
of the Icelandic Welfare Watch in order to ensure dialogue and tackle
the disproportionate impact and the cumulative effects of the crisis
and of austerity measures on vulnerable categories of people;
7.5. promote and encourage the participation of vulnerable
categories of people, in particular young people, in recovery planning;
7.6. step up efforts to combat gender-based discrimination
in the labour market, including maternity discrimination;
7.7. ensure adequate funding for programmes to prevent and
combat violence against women as well as for assistance and protection
services for victims of domestic or sexual violence;
7.8. give more attention to and invest in combating youth unemployment
and the social exclusion of young people and foster the implementation
of the proposals laid out in Resolution
1885 (2012) “The young generation sacrificed: social,
economic and political implications of the financial crisis”;
7.9. adopt policies that guarantee the rights of people with
disabilities and allow them to live independently and enjoy full
inclusion in society;
7.10. ensure that older people can live in dignity by guaranteeing
an adequate minimum income, promoting social inclusion and combating
abuse and discrimination;
7.11. step up efforts to combat the rise of racism and xenophobia
and condemn hate speech, irrespective of the economic context;
7.12. ensure adequate funding for national human rights institutions
allowing them to carry out their mandate.
8. The Assembly calls on the parliaments of member States to:
8.1. further promote the full ratification
and implementation of the European Social Charter (revised) as well
as the Additional Protocol Providing for a System of Collective
Complaints (ETS No. 158) and the protocol amending the European
Social Charter (ETS No. 142, “Turin Protocol”) providing for the election
of the members of the European Committee of Social Rights by the
Assembly;
8.2. exercise parliamentary oversight over governmental responses
to the economic crisis, by asking for human rights and equality
impact assessments to be carried out, if they have not already been
done;
8.3. organise parliamentary debates on the impact of the economic
crisis on the most vulnerable categories of people;
8.4. ensure legislative follow-up to decisions of the European
Committee of Social Rights;
8.5. increase co-operation with national human rights institutions
and social partners, involving them in the design of measures to
counter the economic crisis, and to increase dialogue with non-governmental
organisations on the response to the economic crisis.
9. The Assembly encourages non-governmental organisations active
in this sector to continue advocating social dialogue and to pursue
their awareness-raising activities with regard to the promotion
and protection of human rights, including economic and social rights,
and the impact of the economic crisis on the most vulnerable categories
of people.