Reply to Recommendation
| Doc. 12799
| 23 November 2011
- Author(s):
- Committee of Ministers
- Origin
- adopted
at the 1126th meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies (16 November 2011) 2012 - First part-session
- Reply to Recommendation
- : Recommendation 1963
(2011)
- Thesaurus
1. The Committee of Ministers has carefully
examined Parliamentary Assembly
Recommendation 1963 (2010) on “Combating poverty”. The eradication of poverty
and economic suffering is crucial if member states are to achieve
the type of just and inclusive society to which they aspire.
2. The Committee of Ministers supports the Assembly’s human rights
approach in this respect, in particular with a view to promoting
the effective respect of social rights. In this regard, it acknowledges
the direct bearing that the relevant provisions of the European
Social Charter (revised) have on the fight against poverty and social
exclusion, and it therefore calls on those States Parties to the
Charter, which have not yet done so, to consider accepting Article
30 of the Revised Charter as well as the collective complaints procedure.
3. As advocated by the Assembly, the Committee of Ministers would
also invite member states to consider the ratification and implementation
of the other instruments enumerated in paragraph 4.4 and draw their attention
to the relevance of OHCHR Principles and Guidelines for a Human
Rights Approach to Poverty Reduction Strategies.
4. The Committee of Ministers recalls that the New Council of
Europe Strategy and Action Plan for Social Cohesion (2010) provide
important policy tools in this field. In particular, the Strategy
highlights the fact that one of the greatest challenges to social
cohesion in Europe consists in the emerging pattern of a fragmented society
with rising inequalities between rich and poor and that policies
must ensure that steps are taken to promote the well-being and empowerment
of families, which are critical for the quality of life and prevention
of poverty. The Council of Europe’s forthcoming activities in this
area will focus on the promotion and implementation in member states
of the Action Plan for Social Cohesion, with a view to reducing
poverty, fighting social exclusion, building a secure future for
all and promoting full respect for human rights.
5. In line with the Assembly’s position, the Committee of Ministers
looks to ensure that the Council of Europe gives special attention
in its work to all relevant transversal perspectives. It would
highlight in particular the need for a gender perspective to be
integrated in policies and programmes in the field of poverty and
social exclusion and would in this respect recall the relevant provisions
of Recommendation CM/Rec(2007)17 on gender equality standards and
mechanisms and its Declaration “Making gender equality a reality”
in which the Committee of Ministers requests member states to take
all the necessary measures to “ensure economic independence and
empowerment of women by guaranteeing that equality is respected
in the labour market and economic life, by guaranteeing an equal
pay for equal work or work of equal value”.
6. The Committee of Ministers would also point out that a number
of transversal actions have already been introduced aimed at combating
poverty and improving access for people experiencing poverty to
all human rights, including from the angle of social shared responsibilities
and the inclusion of the (new) poor, taking into consideration the
changes in the extent and content of poverty.
7. Finally, in response to the Assembly’s call for the development
of policies in the field of poverty and social exclusion, the Committee
of Ministers would signal its Guidelines on improving the situation
of low-income workers and on the empowerment of people experiencing
extreme poverty (2010) and the related recent publication on "Strengthening
social cohesion – Improving the situation of low-income workers
– Empowerment of people experiencing extreme poverty”. The publication
is designed to assist policy makers and service providers at national
and local levels to develop strategies to improving the situation
of people living in poverty or living at risk of poverty.
