Objectives

This project seeks to enhance national capacities to advance implementation of the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agenda in West Africa, through an inclusive and collaborative process of formulating related National Action Plans (NAPs) on Youth, Peace and Security in Benin and Liberia.

Components

The project supports the development of NAPs in Benin and Liberia by establishing a global project working group, national Coalitions/Taskforces on YPS, raising awareness on Resolution 2250 and the YPS, and a series of workshops, consultations and national conferences for the inception, drafting, validation and launching phases of the NAPs.

Main achievements

With the aim of developing NAPs in Benin and Liberia, the project facilitated stakeholder mapping and engagement, awareness-raising, and capacity-building through two-day inception workshops, which established core group coordination and the formation of national multi-stakeholder YPS coalitions in both countries with the participation of 130 representatives from the government, youth, United Nations agencies, and civil society organizations. In addition, four in-person regional consultations involving youth-led organizations, government representatives, United Nations Secretariat entities and agencies (DPPA, Office of the Resident Coordinator, UNFPA, and UNOWAS), ECOWAS and West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) were conducted with 215 participants in Liberia and 70 participants in Benin. Six virtual consultations were also held, including four in Benin engaging 90 youth and two in Liberia with the participation of 24 civil society organizations. Additionally, eight individual interviews with YPS experts were conducted to inform project strategies in Benin. In Liberia, the key informant interviews involved a diverse range of stakeholders, including government institutions (Liberia Bureau of Concession, Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency, Liberia National Police, Liberia Immigration Service, Liberia Peace Ambassador, Liberia Peacebuilding Office, Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Internal Affairs), civil society organizations (CSO Human Rights Platform of Liberia, Independent National Commission on Human Rights, Transitional Justice Working Group, Women in Peacebuilding Network, and the Women NGO Network), and traditional leadership (National Council of Chiefs and Elders).

In 2025, two national workshops for the NAPs design were conducted. In Monrovia (Liberia) the national design workshop was held from 5 to 7 March and brought together 66 key stakeholders, including government representatives, youth networks, and technical partners. Similarly, the one in Cotonou (Benin) was conducted in 15-17 May and brought together 35 participants including members of the national YPS coalition, youth-led civil society organizations, government experts, and United Nations representatives. The draft NAPs for both countries have been costed and undergoing quality assurance ahead of a planned roll out in August 2025.

Impact

Through the National Action Plans on Youth, Peace and Security this project provides a framework to address, as applicable, gaps in participation, prevention, protection, partnerships and disengagement and reintegration that inhibit youth agency and their meaningful engagement in political and peace and security processes. This in turn advances intergenerational approaches contributing to minimizing youth vulnerability to terrorist and violent extremism recruitment.