Youth as essential partners for peace

Youth as essential partners for peace

TransConflict is pleased to present a petition by the United Network of Young Peacebuilders, a member of the Global Coalition for Conflict Transformation, calling on the United Nations Security Council to adopt a Resolution on Youth, Peace and Security.

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By the United Network of Young Peacebuilders

We want the Security Council to recognize that youth are essential partners for peace. A Security Council resolution on youth, peace and security is needed to ensure that this large sector of society is included in the promotion of peace from the community to the international level. If youth remain excluded from national and international efforts at building peace, violent extremism and instability will remain a threat for all sectors in society.

Please sign our petition calling on the United Nations Security Council to adopt a resolution that highlights and supports young people to act as positive agents in building peace and security. In addition, we encourage you to publish content under this hash tag: #youth4peace. Thank you for your contribution.

Youth are change makers in conflict-affected regions around the world, yet their work often lacks support and is unrecognised. There are more than one billion youth around the world, of which approximately 600 million live in conflict-affected areas.

Youth are the majority of the population in most countries affected by armed conflict and the United Nations Economic and Social Council acknowledges that they are disproportionately affected by violent conflict. Despite this, youth are not given the opportunity to engage with decision-makers on issues of peace and security.

If youth remain excluded from national and international efforts at building peace, violent extremism and instability will remain a threat for all sectors in society. The most effective way to counter extremist movements is to offer young people meaningful ways to make a difference and positively contribute.

The United Nations Security Council can play an important role in creating space for meaningful participation to ensure that youth have access to national governments and international organisations. As the body charged with maintaining peace and security, only through the Security Council can the international community show its commitment to including youth as a key actor to work towards sustainable peace.

We want the Security Council to recognise that youth are essential partners for peace. A Security Council resolution on youth, peace and security is needed to ensure that this large sector of society is included in the promotion of peace from the community to the international level.

A growing body of evidence shows that when faced with violence and conflict, the majority of young people play active and valuable roles as agents of positive and constructive change. In fact many already do, but they do so without strong support from key national and international actors. Young men’s and young women’s participation in peacebuilding is a largely untapped resource.

Please sign our petition calling on the United Nations Security Council to adopt a resolution that highlights and supports young people to act as positive agents in building peace and security.

To learn more about the Youth, Peace and Security campaign and to see the work that young people are already doing on these topics, visit our website.

For more information about the role of youth in peacebuilding, visit Devex’s Youth Will page.


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