From UN Maldives

Today the United Nations in Maldives in close partnership with the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Maldives launched the UN Security Council Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security, making Maldives the first country in the Asia Pacific region to honor this landmark resolution in an official ceremony.

Presiding the opening ceremony, the Hon. Ms. Iruthisham Adam, Minister of Youth and Sports, underlined the relevance and timeliness of the resolution given that youth constitute 47% of the population in the Maldives.

“Youth-related issues are placed at the heart of the Government’s development vision,” said Minister Iruthisham Adam. “As the resolution urges Member States to consider ways to increase inclusive representation of youth in decision-making at all levels, the launch of the Resolution will provide a more focused approach to youth reform and engagement in a transformative society.” 

UN Resident Coordinator Ms. Shoko Noda urged Maldivian youth to take a more active role in promoting peace. “It is important for the Government to engage civil society, youth and women groups to ensure that peace and security are there for everyone. As youth are the driving force behind the country’s development agenda, these voices of Maldivian men and women need to be heard,” Noda said.

Gulalai Ismail, co-founder of Aware Girls in Pakistan, addressed the young audience stressing that peace is extremely difficult to achieve without the inclusion of youth. Drawing from her successful engagement and advocacy for the resolution, Gulalai talked about her work advancing a peer-to-peer education model in Northwest Pakistan, which provides young people with non-violent alternatives.

Adopted last December, the historic UN resolution 2250 provides an important foundation for young people to play a crucial role in sustaining peace and security in the world. It acknowledges the urgent need to engage young women and men in promoting peace.

The discussion in Maldives resulted in drafting a non-paper, reflecting the participants’ views on the role of the youth in peace and security agenda, as well as the agreement to establish an advisory panel to integrate youth perspectives for future programming of the UN in the Maldives in this area.

Source: http://goo.gl/tpW6GH