Representatives of youth organizations in Liberia, with support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, have ended a two-day National Youth Dialogue aimed at developing a comprehensive national youth strategy on Youth Peace and Security.

The consultation held in Monrovia from 17 to 18 October is the first in a series of dialogues by youth organizations to develop a National Action Plan as part of the “Enhancing National Youth, Peace and Security Capacities in West Africa” project, which UNFPA is implementing through the ministries in charge of youth affairs, internal affairs and youth network in Liberia and Benin with the support of the United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA).

The project aims to raise awareness of the Youth Peace and Security (YPS) agenda and establish a multi-stakeholder platform. This platform coordinates all national efforts and promotes youth participation in the peace and security agenda, ensuring that all stakeholders, regardless of their background, have a voice and role.

At the ceremony, UNFPA Representative Bidisha Pillai said the dialogue has provided a platform for youth-led discussions on key issues, such as employment, education, governance, and peacebuilding. The ideas and perspectives shared will directly inform drafting a National Youth Strategy that reflects the needs, desires, and contributions of the youth of Liberia.

Ms. Pillai called on the Government of Liberia, in partnership with stakeholders, to consolidate the insights from this dialogue into a comprehensive strategy. “For the two days, young people in Liberia came together to share their aspirations, voice their concerns, and propose actionable solutions to the challenges facing the youth of Liberia. We must ensure that their voices and aspirations are fully documented,” she said.

“This next phase will focus on ensuring that the strategy is developed with the youth’s input and implemented through their active participation. A clear action plan will be devised to ensure that policies and programmes are rolled out that create meaningful opportunities for the youth and address the challenges they face,’’ she noted.

The UNFPA Representative commended the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), ECOWAS, the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Youth and Sports and other partners for their unwavering support in facilitating the critical dialogue, noting that their expertise and cooperation have been invaluable in ensuring the success of the event and the ongoing process of youth empowerment in Liberia.

Speaking at the consultation, Youth and Sports Minister Cllr. Jeror Cole Bangalu, stressed the importance of understanding the obstacles that hinder youth participation and empowerment and identifying the best ways to address them.

Cllr. Bangalu said peace  and security are the foundations for development. He added that no nation can progress without these elements, urging the young people to promote kindness and non-violence in their communities.

Federation of Liberian Youth (FLY) Vice President for International Affairs, Abdullah O. Bility, acknowledged the critical role of young people as active agents in peace building rather than mere beneficiaries.

The National Action Plan on Youth, Peace, and Security and its implementation mechanism will provide the opportunity and safe spaces for the youth to voice their concerns, identify overarching goals, and prioritize strategies for advancing youth, peace, and security through an inclusive and collaborative process and an inclusive national Youth Coalition on Youth, Peace, and Security. It will be the result of national consultation. It will serve as a framework/guiding document for the government, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders, to ensure comprehensive youth inclusion in all aspects of peace and security – from conflict prevention to peacebuilding.

Editor’s note:

The United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250, adopted in 2015, is the first international legal framework to recognize the positive role that young people can play in preventing, managing, and resolving conflict, countering violent extremism, and building sustainable peace for development.

This landmark resolution and its subsequent resolutions, 2419 (2018) and 2535 (2020), call on Member States to implement the YPS agenda and ensure the full protection of peacebuilders and human rights activists, respectively. The global YPS agenda further benefits from a secure regional base, as the African Union passed the first-ever landmark Continental framework on Youth, Peace and Security of the African Union and its implementation plan (2020-2029) in 2020, which seeks to put young people at the center of every peace process.

Despite these landmark resolutions and frameworks, young people continue to be excluded from decision-making and peacebuilding processes due to various factors, including a lack of systematic and often meaningful engagement of youth, inadequate coordination, and lack of requisite attention to youth concerns and voices by critical stakeholders in peace processes.