The Heads of State and Government of the Member States of the Council of Europe decided at their summit in Warsaw in May 2005 to step up the Council of Europe work in the social policy field. The central task is to jointly define remedies and solutions which could be effective in fighting poverty and exclusion, ensuring equitable access to social rights and protecting vulnerable groups. For this purpose, a High-Level Task Force was appointed to review the Council of Europe strategy to promote social cohesion in the 21st century.
The first Council of Europe Conference of Ministers responsible for Social Cohesion took place in Moscow (Russian Federation) on 26 and 27 February 2009 under the theme “Investing in social cohesion – investing in stability and the well-being of society”. The conference focused particularly on the report of the High-Level Task Force as a starting point to transform its recommendations into concrete programmes and actions. The ministers called on the Council of Europe to draw up an action plan for social cohesion. The ministers also committed themselves to promote social rights, share responsibilities and strengthen social dialogue, and to build confidence in a secure future for all.
The final declaration of the Conference stresses and renews these commitments.
The Norwegian delegation to the Conference was lead by Ms. Laila Gustavsen, State Secretary for welfare policy matters. In her intervention, Ms. Gustavsen focused on the need for a more socially cohesive society in the light of globalisation, the financial crisis and other profound changes in society such as demographic change and migration. She also underlined that the Council of Europe is a very competent player in Europe to promote social rights, democratic decision-making, civic dialogue and building confidence in the context of its core objectives and the Revised Strategy for Social Cohesion.
The Norwegian intervention can be found here.
On 6 May 2009 the Committee of Ministers discussed the follow up to the Conference. They endorsed the recommendations from the final declaration and instructed the European Committee of Social Cohesion to review the Revised Social Cohesion Strategy in the light of the High-Level Task Force report, taking into account the challenges resulting from the global economic crisis. On the basis of this review, a Council of Europe Action Plan in the field of social cohesion will be drawn up, by May 2010 at the latest.