19 February 2021
The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights concluded today its review of the seventh periodic report of Finland on measures taken to implement the provisions of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, Committee Experts asked the delegation to comment on the impact of the emergency measures on economic, social and cultural rights, notably how they affected minority groups, immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers. What was the practice of Finland to share its resources related to vaccination with other countries that lacked resources? Would Finland support the proposal to waiver intellectual property rights to facilitate the access to vaccines in the Global South?
Industry and Employment Correspondent
The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors has lodged a formal complaint alleging it was excluded from final negotiations on the proposed new public service agreement Building Momentum .
While awaiting the outcome of that complaint, the AGSI will not be balloting on Building Momentum in line with other public service unions, who are expected to ratify it on 23 February.
The Association claims that negotiations on the successor to the Public Service Stability Agreement were conducted by a small group of key representatives, and that the resulting deal was effectively presented as a fait accompli to the association.
Education
10:15 04/02/2021
The European Committee of Social Rights has publicly condemned Belgium for failing to include children with intellectual disabilities in mainstream education.
The decision followed a complaint by a collective of parents, represented by Inclusion Europe and the International Federation of Human Rights Leagues (FIDH), with the support of Unia and the Delegate General for Children s Rights. After four years of legal battles, the Committee has now ruled in favour of the claimant organisations and thus condemns Belgium, and more particularly the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, for the lack of efforts made for the educational inclusion of pupils with intellectual disabilities.
The European Committee on Social Rights concluded in its judgement that the right to an inclusive education is not guaranteed in Belgium. We ve been waiting for this decision for four years,” said Thomas Dabeux of the non-profit organisation Inclusion Europe. “We really hope that it
News
News Deputy Secretary General Strasbourg 4 February 2021 Diminuer la taille du texte Augmenter la taille du texte Imprimer la page Imprimer en PDF
Manuel Montobbio, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of Spain to the Council of Europe, signed today, in the presence of Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, the Additional Protocol of 1995 providing for a system of collective complaints. This is an important step which requires the subsequent ratification of the Protocol or a declaration at the time of ratifying the revised Charter, a ratification process that is well under way in Spain.
“The signature of the collective complaints Protocol demonstrates Spain’s commitment to social rights and support for the European So