Story by MercyCorps
Historic move underscores the essential role youth play in promoting peace and countering violent extremism
The global organization Mercy Corps commends the United Nations Security Council for adopting a new resolution prioritizing youth and youth-led organizations in peacebuilding and violence prevention efforts, and thanks the government of Jordan and the 10,000 young peace builders who participated in this year’s first-ever Global Forum on Youth, Peace, and Security for leading this landmark initiative.
“In places fraught by conflict, instability, violence and economic crisis, youth are critical partners to help move their communities toward stability, prosperity and resilience,” says Andrea Koppel, vice president of Global Engagement and Policy at Mercy Corps. “Recognition by the United Nations of the urgent need to engage youth directly in decision making is essential to prevent violence and create lasting peace.”
Mercy Corps has worked with the United Network of Young Peacebuilders since 2011 to advocate for the inclusion of youth and youth-led organizations in peace-building initiatives and lay the foundation for this resolution.
“Although this move is a huge step forward, the UN Security Council must now formalize the implementation of the resolution,” says Koppel. “We therefore urge UN member states to create national action plans to ensure that the tenets outlined in the resolution are carried out to empower youth within communities most affected by instability and violent conflict.”
Mercy Corps also urges UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to set a firm date by which to complete the resolution-requested progress study on youth’s positive contributions to peace processes and conflict resolution. This must be accompanied by continued efforts by the UN and member states to advance understanding of, and ways to address, underlying grievances driving youth to join violent conflict. A recent Mercy Corps study of key contributors to youth attraction to conflict found that experiences of injustice and abuse, not just poverty and unemployment, drive young people to take up arms.
See story here: https://www.mercycorps.org/press-room/releases/mercy-corps-applauds-un-security-council-adoption-youth-peace-and-security