Five years ago, on 9 December 2015, the resolution S/RES/2250 on Youth, Peace and Security was adopted by the United Nations Security Council, building on similar resolutions adopted on the role of women (resolution 1325, adopted in 2000) and children (resolution 2225, adopted in 2015) in conflicts. Regrettably, the anniversary received too little attention, possibly because it was overshadowed by coinciding events, like the 5th anniversary of the Paris Agreement. This confirms that the structural inclusion and targeting of youth in peace processes is still considered a side issue; whereas other political processes (most obviously the fight against climate change) have shown the potential of young people’s participation.
The Youth, Peace and Security resolution notes that, in regions shaped by conflict, young people aged 15-29 make up the majority of citizens and are disproportionately affected by conflicts. Additionally, the resolution highlights that youth’s inclusion in peace processes and societal consensuses unleash an often-unused potential for sustainable solutions and conflict transformation.
Systemic inclusion of youth: why it is necessary
There has been movement since the adoption of the resolution: many peacebuilding organisations have launched youth-oriented projects aiming at youth leadership and empowerment (see Search, Interpeace and peace direct), a UN Youth Envoy was nominated and young leaders gathered for a first international symposium to evaluate youth’s participation in peace processes over the past 20 years. Nevertheless, a systemic inclusion of youth in all steps of conflict prevention and transformation within the affected countries is still in its infancy.
Studies have shown that a lack of opportunities for self-development and for making a meaningful impact contribute to the backfall of young people into violent means. In other words, youth’s exclusion from decision-making processes and the lack of opportunities - which hinders the creation of a self-reliant life - are sources of frustration that can lead to violent despair. Furthermore, conflicts disrupt young people’s daily routines, including their education and their plans for the future. This deprivation is a vicious cycle, which fuels a conflict with more potential for violence. For some, it can cement the impression that the only way of gaining influence and having a say is through the use of violent means.
The state of play: challenges and opportunities
Moreover, actions in favour of greater youth inclusion at international and governmental level have been superficial. Firstly, the 17 UN Young Leaders - elected every two years since 2016 - represent a diverse, but small elite: they are not representative of all young people around the globe and their small number makes for a personal election and thus participation unreachable for the most. At the same time, young leaders are mainly invited to speak on debates with a youth focus; while youth representation remains peripheral to the range of subjects discussed at international fora.
Lighthouse initiatives like the Young Leaders can offer role models, but the young generation will mostly be looking for orientation within their own environment: people who can lead the way, while not being unreachable. In conflict situations, securitised protection structures often reinforce violent role models and predominate other behavior patterns like mediation. In such situations, it is important to create role models, who are not ultimately relying on their capacity to use violence in order to protect and exert influence. For a sustainable peace, role models must open up other ways to strengthen a society, in which civilian actions are considered prestigious and people do not see a need to revert to violent means.
Furthermore, youth inclusion is particularly important in regional peace processes. Young people know about the conflicts they grew up in, but it has shaped them differently compared to the older generations. They can offer different perspectives and are thus inevitable for a comprehensive analysis of conflict and possible solutions thereof.
Conclusions and recommendations
Two main action points can be deducted from the above analysis. First, youth participation should be mainstreamed throughout all political processes. There could be a youth participant at all levels of a peace process, who highlights the needs and wishes of the younger generation and reminds the others of who will be affected by the results the longest. Young people could elect representatives for youth councils in which they can talk about experiences and dreams and where common positions are discussed. Such inclusion addresses the young generation’s despair resulting from powerlessness. Furthermore, it offers civilian role-models among the young population by showing that these people actually have influence. Last but not least, such a council can contribute to exchange among young people coming from different environments and open new perspectives.
The fight for Women, Peace and Security can lead the way for Youth, Peace and Security: why don’t we install a quota for young people’s participation at an international level, particularly in conflict situations where they are in the majority? It is crucial to empower youth through their participation and force people to listen, just as they had to learn listening to women in decreasing patriarchal systems.
Secondly, in (post-)conflict situations, international actions focussing on youth should be of purely civilian nature, including through de-militarised police forces, mediators and entrepreneurial teachers. Such missions should have as their central aims 1) the offering of viable alternatives to militant means and 2) the opening up of possibilities through education, in the spirit of contributing to something bigger than oneself. Schools and sport clubs are such places, where young people are earning respect and see progress in what they are doing. Furthermore, social media offers potential for digital learning and exchange that is often still too little used.
Since the adoption of resolution 2250, there has been an increased awareness of the specific role of youth in conflict and of young people’s inclusion in peace processes. It is clear: young people should not be limited to learning how the world is ruled, but they can actually contribute with their distinct perspective. They have their own stakes, ideas and demands (particularly in their direct environment), which are relevant for a sustainable peace. The structural inclusion and targeting of youth bears a potential that is still far from exhausted.
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