Ten years after the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2250, the Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS) agenda has achieved important milestones. Since 2015, the Security Council has passed two additional YPS resolutions, 2419 in 2018 and 2535 in 2020, which have reinforced the agenda as a cross-cutting priority across UN institutions. Significant progress has also been made at national and regional levels. Six regional or subregional organisations, including the African Union, League of Arab States, and European Union, have adopted YPS strategies or action plans. Additionally, seven countries have established dedicated National Action Plans on YPS, with several more in development, particularly in West Africa. These developments demonstrate meaningful advancement of the YPS policy framework, but achieving genuine youth engagement requires more than policies and resolutions—it requires creating spaces for youth leadership and opportunities for young people to contribute meaningfully at all levels.
Peacebuilding funding has played a critical role in advancing the YPS agenda over the past decade. A review of 106 youth-focused peacebuilding projects revealed how funding has supported youth inclusion and helped sustain YPS coalitions and networks. Projects ranged from expanding youth participation in National Action Plan consultations to engaging youth in peace processes, conflict monitoring, and local reconciliation efforts in countries such as the Central African Republic, Sudan, Mali, and Tunisia. These initiatives provided young people with platforms to demonstrate their capabilities, contribute to community development, and influence local governance.
Youth engagement has also been particularly dynamic at the intersection of climate, peace, and security. Young people are deeply affected by natural resource scarcity and climate-related challenges, which can exacerbate conflict. Programs in regions such as the Lake Chad Basin, Cote d’Ivoire, and the Sahel showed that youth often possess advanced knowledge and innovative ideas for climate adaptation, sustainable agriculture, and green employment. When empowered to participate in these processes, young people not only strengthened individual projects but also transformed community relationships, reinforcing more peaceful social structures. Programs that allowed youth to take initiative—designing and leading community service or peacebuilding campaigns—were the most effective at dismantling stereotypes and demonstrating the value of youth leadership.
Despite these advances, significant barriers remain. Many local and national mechanisms, such as youth councils, struggle to operate sustainably due to insufficient funding and political support. Youth organisations frequently face limited, short-term resources that restrict their ability to implement initiatives, exercise meaningful agency, or build organizational capacity. Socioeconomic barriers further constrain youth participation, and peacebuilding projects often struggle to connect youth engagement with broader development goals, economic reforms, or long-term livelihood opportunities.
Looking ahead, continued support for youth engagement at both international and local levels will be essential. While youth should lead the way, peacebuilding programs can provide critical entry points and structures that enable young people to advance the YPS agenda. Investments in youth leadership, youth-led coalitions, and sustained programming are necessary to address systemic challenges and achieve long-term impact. Youth inclusion is not an optional addition but a fundamental component of effective peacebuilding. Young people are uniquely positioned to address the drivers of conflict and open new pathways for peace at local, national, and international levels, making their active participation indispensable for lasting progress.
