The Latvian Unemployed and Job Seekers' Interest Advocacy Association is a non-governmental organization founded on December 5, 2012. The association's work is focused on advocating for the interests of unemployed people, job seekers, people with disabilities, and socially vulnerable individuals, as well as on the development of civil society and the protection of human rights.
The association's goal is to represent and defend the interests of people whose voices often go unheard in everyday life: the unemployed, job seekers, people with disabilities, people with low incomes, and other socially vulnerable groups in society. The association advocates for a fairer, more accessible, and more understandable public administration, paying particular attention to social security, employment issues, disability policy, labor rights, and public participation in decision-making.
The association believes that unemployment, disability, low income, or social insecurity must not become a reason for excluding a person from public life. Every person has the right to be treated with dignity, to defend their interests, and to receive state and municipal support in an understandable, fair, and proportionate manner.
The association's activities cover several interconnected areas:
- advocacy for the interests of the unemployed and job seekers;
- protection of the rights and interests of people with disabilities;
- representation of the interests of socially vulnerable residents;
- promotion of civic participation;
- preparation of proposals and objections in the legislative drafting process;
- informing the public about socially, legally, and nationally significant issues;
- cooperation with state, municipal, non-governmental, and other institutions;
The association's work is based on the conviction that the interests of socially vulnerable people must be defended not only in individual cases, but also on a broader level: in the drafting of legislation, in the planning of state policy, in the work of municipalities, and in the public sphere.
The association actively engages in advocacy for public interests, including by participating in the discussion of legislation and in state administrative decision-making processes. The association submits proposals, objections, and opinions on the Public Portal for Draft Legislation, raising issues that affect social protection, disability policy, the accessibility of healthcare, the protection of household income, the proportionality of debt collection, the transparency of public funding, and adherence to the principles of the rule of law. In 2025, the association submitted proposals and objections in more than ten legislative drafting processes. This work demonstrates a practical and purposeful involvement in the development of civil society, as the association not only points out problems but also offers solutions and legally reasoned proposals.
The association's involvement in legislative drafting processes is important because many socially vulnerable people do not participate in public consultations themselves. The association therefore strives to serve as an intermediary between people's everyday problems and state administrative decision-making.
The association is registered in the Register of Interest Representatives of the Register of Enterprises of the Republic of Latvia, which confirms its work in an open and legally regulated interest representation process.
Since January 31, 2018, the association has joined the Memorandum of Cooperation between Non-Governmental Organizations and the Cabinet of Ministers. This step demonstrates the association's readiness to participate in dialogue with the state administration and to strengthen the role of the non-governmental sector in addressing issues important to society.
In 2020, the association also joined the Memorandum of Cooperation between the Riga Municipality and Non-Governmental Organizations, thereby demonstrating its readiness to cooperate at the municipal level as well. The association believes that, in solving social problems, an important role is played not only by state policy but also by the actions of municipalities, because municipalities are often the first place people turn to in cases of crisis, unemployment, disability, or other circumstances.
Since 2026, the association has also been a member of the Disability Affairs Advisory Council of the Ombudsman of the Republic of Latvia. This membership is a significant affirmation of the association's work in the field of defending the rights and interests of people with disabilities. The association seeks to promote a policy in which people with disabilities are not viewed formally, based solely on diagnosis, but rather according to their real needs, life circumstances, and opportunities to participate fully in society.
The association has repeatedly participated in the State Employment Agency's project "Development of Skills Needed for Work," employing people with disabilities. This project is a practical example of how the association's work is not limited to writing proposals and participating in public consultations on paper, but also involves the real engagement of people in the workplace.
The association wishes to foster an environment in which the unemployed, job seekers, and people with disabilities can develop skills, gain practical experience, and gradually return to the labor market. This is especially important for people who have been out of the labor market for a long time or whose opportunities are limited by health conditions, disability, age, lack of income, or social exclusion.
The association believes that access to the labor market is not only an economic issue. It is also a matter of human dignity, self-determination, and social inclusion.
On December 11, 2025, the association registered its mass media outlet "Latvijas INFO" under registration number 000740610. "Latvijas INFO" is envisioned as a tool for informing the public and promoting civic participation. Through it, the association plans to raise socially, legally, and publicly significant issues, explain draft legislation, state and municipal decisions, and draw attention to problems affecting people with disabilities, the unemployed, job seekers, and other socially vulnerable groups in society. The association believes that informing the public is one of the forms of civic participation. A person cannot defend their rights if they do not understand how decisions are made, where to turn, what legislation is being amended, and how these changes may affect their life.
In the future, the association plans to develop "Latvijas INFO" as a platform that would simultaneously serve to inform the public and provide job seekers, the unemployed, and people with disabilities with the opportunity to gain practical experience in content creation, editorial work, public communication, and journalism.
Why do we need public support?
The association's work to date has largely been based on volunteer effort, personal initiative, and limited resources. To continue and develop its advocacy, public information, and social inclusion activities, the association needs the support of the community.
Donations would help strengthen the association's work in several areas:
- preparing proposals and objections in the legislative amendment process;
- defending the interests of the unemployed, job seekers, and people with disabilities;
- developing public information activities;
- improving the work of the mass media outlet "Latvijas INFO";
- promoting the involvement of socially vulnerable people in public life;
- improving the association's ability to participate in projects and attract additional funding;
- ensuring higher-quality interest representation at the state and municipal levels;
- helping people whose problems often remain outside the broader political agenda.
The association wishes to develop long-term, sustainable activities that are beneficial to society, rather than limiting itself to occasional short-term initiatives. Therefore, the support of donors is a significant contribution to strengthening civil society, human rights, and social justice in Latvia.
We believe that a civil society begins with concrete action: with a submission, a proposal, a legal argument, a public question, help for an individual, and persistent work to make public administration fairer, more understandable, and more accessible.
The Latvian Unemployed and Job Seekers' Interest Advocacy Association works so that people facing unemployment, disability, social insecurity, or exclusion are not left alone.
By supporting the association, you help strengthen the protection of human rights, civic participation, and a more socially just Latvia!
