About

PORTO SOCIAL FORUM

May 26th and 27th, 2023

A SPACE TO REAFFIRM EUROPE’S SOCIAL VALUES

The Social Forum

Porto Social Forum aims to reaffirm the role of Social Europe and continue the commitments made at the Porto Social Summit, involving the Presidency of the Council of the EU, the European Commission, the European Parliament, social partners, and civil society. It seeks to create synergies for the Future of Europe, increasingly inclusive, fair, and social.

Agenda

May 26th - Side events:

11h30 - 13h30: How are we since Porto?

11h30: Welcome Speech

  • Nicolas Schmit, European Commissioner for Social Affairs and Employment


11h45:
People’s Summit: putting people at the heart of policies

  • Edgar Campos, Local Council of Citizens, Viseu, Portugal
  • Sheila Góis Habib, European Anti-Poverty Network Europe
  • Paula Cruz, European Anti-Poverty Network Portugal


Organised by the European Anti-Poverty Network


12h15: 
European Child Guarantee: what is needed to ensure its success

  • Ana Sofia Antunes, Secretary of State for Inclusion, Portugal
  • Ally Dunhill, Eurochild
  • Enrico Tormen, Save the Children


Organised by the European Alliance for Investing in Children


12h45:
Combatting Homelessness: taking stock of a European platform

  • Kjell Larsson, President, FEANTSA
  • Henrique Joaquim, Coordinator of the Portuguese National Homelessness Strategy 2017 – 2023
  • Raquel Castello-Branco, Director, Porto City Hall
  • Freek Spinnewijn, Diretor, FEANTSA


Organised by European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless (FEANTSA)


13h15:
Closing Speech

  • Ana Mendes Godinho, Minister for Labour, Solidarity and Social Security
 
13h30 - 14h30: Lunch Debate: Social Tracking Methodology in the EU Budget
  • Nicolas Schmit, European Commissioner for Social Affairs and Employment
  • Ana Mendes Godinho, Minister for Labour, Solidarity and Social Security
  • Roundtable
  • Keynote Speaker: Francesco Corti, Research Fellow at CEPS and advisor to the Belgian Minister of Social Affairs


Organised by Margarida Marques, Member of the European Parliament

14h45 - 15h45: Achieving the twin transitions: investing in key competences for all

14h45: Welcome Speech

  • Miguel Fontes, Secretary of State for Labour, Portugal


14h50:
Keynote address

  • Nicolas Schmit, European Commissioner for Social Affairs and Employment


14h55:
Investing in Transversal Skills

  • Oliver Röpke, President European Economic and Social Committee
  • Dragoș Pîslaru, Chair of the EMPL Committee, European Parliament
  • Johan Pehrson, Minister for Employment and Integration, Sweden
  • João Albuquerque, Member of the European Parliament
  • Andrei Frank, Lifelong Learning Platform


15h20:
Q&A

15h30: Closing Speech

  • Piotr Sadowski, President, Social Platform


Organised by the Lifelong Learning Platform

 
15h45 - 16h30: Bytes4Future: digital skills 4 all

15h45: Opening

  • Carina Larsen, Aga Khan Foundation


15h50:
Roundtable

  • Tiago Myan, Presidente da União de Freguesias de Foz do Douro, Aldoar e Nevogilde
  • Adelaide Martins, Head of Human Resources, Ascendi
  • Bárbara Oliveira, Bytes4Future Alumni
  • Rafael Alegre, Bytes4Future Alumni
  • Moderator: Sofia Mexia, Aga Khan Foundation


16h20:
Q&A

Organised by the Aga Khan Foundation

 
16h30 - 17h20: European Pillar of Social Rights and the 2030 Agenda: deliver on the social dimension of sustainable development

16h30: Debate

  • Mariana Vieira da Silva, Minister of the Presidency
  • Miguel Fontes, Secretary of State for Labour
  • Moderator: Ivo Neto

17h00: Q&A

May 27:

09h00: Arrival of delegations

09h30: Welcome Speech
  • António Costa, Prime Minister

09h45:
Opening Ceremony
  • Nicolas Schmit, European Commissioner for Social Affairs and Employment
  • Pedro Silva Pereira, Vice-President, European Parliament
  • Oliver Ropke, President, European Social and Economic Committee
  • Ana Mendes Godinho, Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security, Portugal

10h15:
The European Year of Skills as a driver for the twin transitions
  • Introductory remarks: Elisa Ferreira, European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms (video)
  • Vasco Cordeiro, President, European Committee of Regions
  • Dragos Pislaru, Chair of the EMPL Committee, European Parliament
  • Karien van Gennip, Minister of Social Affairs and Employment, Netherlands
  • Olivier Dussopt, Minister of Labour, Employment and Economic Inclusion, France 
  • Maxime Cerutti, Social Affairs Director, Business Europe
  • Véronique Willems, Secretary General, SME United

12h30:
Family Photo

12h45:
Lunch¹

14h45:
A global approach to social rights: an introductory note
  • Gilbert Houngbo, Director-General, International Labour Organization

15h00:
 The European Social Model as a geopolitical lever
  • Pierre-Yves Dermagne, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for the Economy and Employment
  • Oksana Zholnovych, Ministry of Social Policy, Ukraine
  • Yolanda Diaz Perez, Vice-President of the Government, Spain
  • Esther Lynch, Secretary General, ETUC
  • Piotr Sadowski, President, Social Platform
  • Valeria Ronzitti, Secretary General, SGI Europe
17h00: Coffee Break

17h20:
The Pillar of Social Rights: A look into the future
  • Frank Vandenbroucke, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health of Belgium
  • José Luis Escrivá, Minister for Inclusion, Social Security and Migration of Spain 
  • Agnes Jongerius, Member of the European Parliament 
  • Dennis Radtke, Member of the European Parliament

18h00: Institutionalization Ceremony of the Porto Social Forum
  • Closing speech: Tiago Antunes, Secretary of State for European Affairs, Portugal
  • Ana Mendes Godinho, Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security, Portugal 
  • Nicolas Schmit, European Commissioner for Social Affairs and Employment
  • Camilla Waltersson Grönvall, Minister for Social Services, Sweden
  • Dragos Pislaru, Chair of the EMPL Committee, European Parliament
  • Esther Lynch, Secretary General, ETUC
  • Maxime Cerutti, Social Affairs Director, Business Europe
  • Piotr Sadowski, President, Social Platform
  • Véronique Willems, Secretary General, SME United 
  • Valeria Ronzitti, Secretary General, SGI Europe

18h00: Press Conference

¹ Working lunch for Ministers of Member States and Candidate Countries. Other participants will be served lunch in a separate room at the meeting premise.

The European Pillar of Social Rights

The Action Plan aims to implement and realize the European Pillar of Social Rights, which consists of 20 guiding principles for building a strong, fair, inclusive, and opportunity-rich social Europe.

The European Pillar was proclaimed by the three institutions of the Union - the Council, the Commission, and the Parliament - at the previous Social Summit in 2017 in Gothenburg.

About the Location

Super Bock Arena is an emblematic and culturally significant venue in the city, recognized for hosting various nationally and internationally relevant events. Its accommodation capacity, modern infrastructure, and versatility make it the ideal space to host a large-scale gathering.

Newsroom

Porto Social Forum 2023

Porto Social Forum consists of a strategic debate on social rights on May 26th and 27th. The European Year of Skills and the European Social Model are the two main themes of this 1st edition of the Porto Social Forum.

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