In recognition of the exceptional importance of the positive contribution that young people make toward the maintenance and promotion of international peace, the Security Council unanimously adopted its first ever resolution on Youth, Peace and Security (UNSCR 2250) on 9 December, 2015. The Resolution affirmed the critical role that youth assume in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and called for the engagement of youth as partners and leaders at all levels of decision-making and in peacebuilding processes. Concretely, Resolution 2250 urges immediate action in five fields: participation, protection, prevention, partnership, and disengagement. While the Resolution set the frame for a wider debate on the topic of youth in peace and security, “The Missing Peace: Independent Progress Study on Youth, Peace and Security,” presented in April 2018, presented practical guidance for its implementation.

When grievances like political injustice, protracted violent conflict, unemployment and a lack of identity and purpose in life create a breeding ground for radicalization and violent extremism among youth, the international community must partner with youth to effectively address both the causes and the effects of these conditions.

In this context, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), a Geneva-based training arm of the United Nations, and the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), an independent institute dedicated to the elimination of violent conflict in the world, will convene a strategic group of stakeholders to explore concrete ways the international community can support wider and more meaningful engagement of youth in peacebuilding.