The Right to Quality Employment: European Youth Forum at UN Human Rights Council

The European Youth Forum presented its work on employment at a side event of the 28th session of the UN Human Rights Council, taking place in Geneva this month. The Human Rights Council, which began on 2nd March and will finish on 27th, is seeking to address the current human rights situation in many countries including Ukraine, Sri Lanka and Syria. It also facilitates debate and examination of thematic issues that are brought to the Council’s attention.

At a side event organised by the Global Network for Rights and Development, Policy Officer, Marianna Georgallis, spoke about the problems that young people face when looking for employment and need for a rights-based approach to social development.

The right to work is enshrined in multiple legal frameworks, including the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. These rights have, however, not been protected, particularly throughout and in the aftermath of the financial crisis. As shown in the Youth Forum’s recent report on the impact of the crisis on young people, this continues to have a devastating impact on the well-being and social inclusion of young people.

The Youth Forum stressed the need for investment in sustainable, quality jobs in order to ensure inclusive societies where young people are not being left behind. Currently, young people in Europe are far more likely than older workers to be employed on temporary and exploitative contracts, and one in every five young people fears losing their job. The Youth Forum believes that more must be done to ensure that this vulnerable group in society are adequately supported and that their right to decent work, with safe working conditions, job security and access to social protection, is upheld. The transition from school to work is a key element of this: Our Quality Charter for Internships and Apprenticeships and the Forum’s recent publication, An Employers Guide to Quality Internships, are pushing towards good quality internships for young people.

The European Youth Forum was very pleased to have this opportunity to continue our work to strive for youth rights to be recognised and protected. Adopting a rights-based approach is crucial if Europe is to defend young people’s fundamental rights and ensure the full inclusion of young people in society.

European Quality Charter on Internships and Apprenticeships