The 2025 Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) Thematic Review on Youth, Peace and Security (YPS), commissioned by the Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO) in partnership with UNFPA, UNICEF and Climate Security Mechanism, and led by the UN University’s Centre for Policy Research, outlines programmatic best practices and lessons learned on youth participation in peacebuilding, drawing on examples from 41 PBF-funded projects spanning 33 countries and territories between 2018-2022.
One of the cohort of projects reviewed is dedicated to youth engagement in climate, peace and security (CPS) and environmental peacebuilding and examines 12 initiatives in Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Honduras, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Somalia. The review builds on findings and recommendations from past and ongoing PBSO-wide exercises, including the CSM-supported Thematic Review on Climate Security and Peacebuilding (2023).
CPS-related key finding: Climate, Peace and Security and environmental peacebuilding programming offer strong entry points for youth inclusion and demonstrate the importance of socio-economic and livelihood strategies that get to the core of community needs. Such programming can enhance conflict prevention dividends and make local climate adaptation work more conflict-sensitive.
CPS-related best practices and recommendations: Support greater piloting of youth-centered natural resource management programming, specifically giving attention to young people’s role in climate adaptation, as well as in other environmental and natural resources-related conflict prevention.
A virtual launch event takes place on Thursday 22 May 2025 (10:00am – 12:00pm EDT). For the report and more information on the launch: 2025 Peacebuilding Fund Thematic Review on Youth, Peace and Security.