Youth participation is essential to inclusive peace and decision-making processes and at the core of the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agenda. The United Nations’ efforts in this space are often designed as multi-stakeholder processes aimed at creating mechanisms for safe and meaningful youth engagement. Adopting holistic approaches to youth empowerment is a fundamental part of the YPS agenda: United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution 2250 (2015) and the subsequent resolutions 2419 (2018) and 2535 (2020) and related policy frameworks indeed recognise that gender equality, safety and security and access to employment opportunities, health and education for young people are all elements which are intrinsically tied to a country’s peace.
With the above in mind, it goes without saying that youth need to play a central role in conflict prevention and resolution. The objectives of this paper are to increase available knowledge on 1) different forms of youth participation in processes relating to peace and development in conflict and crisis-affected societies and on 2) promising practices of support by the United Nations and other partners and stakeholders to youth engagement, including through mechanisms and platforms.
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This thematic paper for the 2022 Report by the Secretary-General on Youth, Peace and Security is prepared by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and drafted by Emadeddin Badi. The research was completed in January 2022 and the survey data collected between 8 December 2021 and 4 January 2022.
The views expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the United Nations, including UNDP, or the UN Member States.
