Young people are an integral factor in sustaining peace. This guide is designed to facilitate their meaningful contribution to peace and security in your country. In the following chapters you will find insights, examples and
guidance to support government actions and shifts in your public policy to make this possible.
In recent years there has been a significant shift towards recognizing young people and their roles in the maintenance and promotion of international peace and security. It began with the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2250 (2015). This formalized the youth, peace and security (YPS) Agenda, which has only been strengthened with the adoption of UNSCR 2419 (2018) and UNSCR 2535 (2020). Each new resolution builds upon the work of the last with the latest clearly calling for accelerated implementation of the YPS agenda.
The Secretary General ́s report on Youth, Peace, and Security was published in March 2020, preceding UNSCR 2535 and it highlighted two key findings:
“The first is the growing recognition of young people’s essential role in peace and security. It is encouraging to see many instances in which Governments, United Nations entities, civil society actors and others are stepping up to meet the requirements of resolution 2250 (2015). The second is that core challenges remain, including structural barriers limiting the participation of young people and their capacity to influence decision-making; violations of their human rights; and insufficient investment in facilitating their inclusion, in
particular through education.”
This guide is designed to break down those challenges and make it easier to implement youth, peace and security at country level by offering practical tools and examples. It has been developed in response to UNSCR 2535 for Member States.
This guide was developed through a multi-stakeholder consultative process, building on existing technical guidance and practices specifically related to the youth, peace, and security agenda and the broader field of inclusive peace
and security.
The project was coordinated by the Office of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth (OSGEY) in partnership with the Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA), Sweden, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the
United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs – Peacebuilding Support Office (DPPA/PBSO), the United Network of Young Peacebuilders and Search for Common Ground. The project was made possible through the financial support of the Folke Bernadotte Academy of Sweden, and the State of Qatar.
SUGGESTED CITATION:
Global Coalition on Youth, Peace, and Security (2022) “Implementing the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda at Country-level: A Guide for Public Officials”. New York: Office of the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth.
