Dear friends and fellow young people,
I am excited to announce that I will be attending the 1st ever International Symposium on Youth Participation in Peace Processes in Helsinki, Finland this March!
Young people under the age of 30 accounts for over half of the world’s population. It is estimated that 600 million youth live in fragile and conflict-affected states. These figures underscore the need to understand the importance of engaging them in conflict prevention & mediation processes – a domain where they are often marginalized. Despite their numbers and their progressive and effective interventions for sustaining peace processes, young people’s efforts and contributions remain undervalued.
UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2250 (2015) on Youth, Peace, and Security is the first ever resolution to recognize the positive role young people play in maintenance and promotion of peace and security. UNSCR 2419 (2018) reiterates the importance of youth participation by urging for the inclusive representation of young people.
The International Symposium is envisaged as a key step in moving forward the implementation of UNSCR 2250 and UNSCR 2419 as it relates to inclusive peace processes with young people’s participation. It is time to create space and opportunities for young people in the formal processes of mediation.
The Symposium is co-hosted with the generous support of the Governments of Finland, Qatar, and Colombia and co-organized by the United Nations Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth (OSGEY), and Search for Common Ground in partnership with UNDPPA, UNDP, UNFPA, and UNOY.
Stay tuned for more updates to come! #Youth4Peace #Youth2030
