On 12th December, the YES Forum joined the "Social Rights are Human Rights" event, organised by Social Platform, on strengthening the links between the European Social Charter and the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR). The discussion centred on building a cohesive and actionable social rights framework to benefit all EU residents, particularly in light of the ongoing revision of the EPSR action plan.
We highlighted the vital role of preventative youth and social work in supporting disadvantaged young people. These efforts are crucial for ensuring access to rights such as equal opportunities (EPSR Principle 3) and active support to employment (Principle 4).
The event underscored the importance of accountability mechanisms like the EU Semester and the Collective Complaints Mechanism for holding Member States to their social rights commitments. Speakers also called for social rights to take precedence alongside human rights, rather than being sidelined by fiscal concerns.
For the YES Forum, this was a key moment to advocate for disadvantaged young people’s social rights and to push for recognition of the transformative work youth workers do. We look forward to seeing a strengthened EPSR action plan that closes protection gaps and delivers meaningful impact across Europe.
