10. Recognising that some persons, in particular those in a situation of
vulnerability, may encounter obstacles to the full enjoyment of their
social rights;
11. Aware that the promotion of prevention measures helps to combat
all forms of exclusion, avoiding the loss of rights and facilitating
access to, and preservation of, social rights;
12. Affirming that effective access to social rights for all is essential to
social cohesion and contributes to economic development;
13. Recognising the interdependence of the various social rights,
14. Recommends that the governments of member states implement
policies promoting access to social rights. Such policies should:
-
be guided by the values of freedom, equality, dignity, and
solidarity;
be based on the principles of non-discrimination, partnership,
quality, privacy and transparency;
devote particular attention to persons in situations of vulnerability;
strive to follow the guidelines set out in the appendix to this
recommendation.
15. Recommends that the governments of member states widely
circulate this recommendation.
Appendix to Recommendation Rec (2003)19
In drawing up and implementing policies aimed at improving access to
social rights, the governments of member states are invited to:
- give concrete form to social rights by setting up a legal framework
providing, inter alia, for:
- accessible and transparent redress and appeal systems, including
cost-free procedures for persons of modest means;
- free legal aid for persons of modest means;
- representation by citizens' organisations of wronged persons in
redress and appeal procedures;
- ombudsman services;
- set up appropriate social services with adequate human and
financial resources: to this end, they are invited to:
- allocate human and financial resources as efficiently as possible;
- allocate resources to prevention measures;
- allocate resources for responding to individual social emergency
situations;
- provide staff with training in the professional and human
relations skills needed, focusing in particular on non-discrimination;