The UN Security Council has unanimously adopted a resolution, calling on the international community to increase the role of young people in negotiating and implementing peace agreements.
The 15 ambassadors called on the UN Secretary-General and his Special Envoys to take young people’s views into account in security-related discussions and to facilitate their participation at decision-making levels.
They also asked countries to protect educational institutions and ensure they were accessible to all youths, in addition to taking measures to address young women’s right to education.
The wide-ranging resolution was tabled by Sweden and Peru, according to the News Agency of Nigetia, NAN.
In introducing the draft, Swedish Ambassador Olof Skoog said it underlined the contribution young people could make to peace and security if they were actively engaged.
“They are also crucial to forging an inclusive vision of a shared future,” Peru’s Ambassador Gustavo Meza-Cuadra said following the vote.
Recognising that the marginalisation of young people is detrimental to building sustainable peace and countering violent extremism, the Council called on relevant parties to consider ways to increase youth representation when negotiating and implementing peace agreements.
The resolution also placed importance on creating policies for youths that would “positively contribute” to peacebuilding efforts, such as in the areas of social and economic development.
Other examples cited included supporting projects designed to grow local economies, or those that provide youth employment opportunities and vocational training, or which promoted youth entrepreneurship and constructive political engagement.