The High-Level Global Conference On Youth-Inclusive Peace process | The Youth Café.

The High-Level Global Conference on Youth-Inclusive Peace Process was held virtually on 20-21 January 2022, co-hosted by Qatar, Finland, and Colombia, and co-organized with civil society and UN partners. It began with a Youth Pre-Event on 19 January 2022, leading up to the Global Conference on 20-21 January 2022. The high-level conference aimed to secure national commitments to advance the country-level operationalization of the Youth Peace Security agenda and strengthen political will and commitment to including youth in peace processes. Interactive and action-oriented discussions convened across five themes building on the Youth Peace Security agenda between Heads of State and other High-Level Government representatives, young peacebuilders, and representatives of intergovernmental organizations, CSOs, academia, and donors.

The United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted three historic resolutions, which are UNSCR 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security (2015), UNSCR 2419 (2018), and UNSCR 2535 (2020), that firmly place youth on the sustaining peace agenda, recognizing their essential contribution to the sustainability of peace and prevention of violence. The three resolutions urge the Member States to consider ways to increase the inclusive representation of youth in decision-making at all levels, including mechanisms for youth to participate meaningfully in peace processes and dispute resolution. Across the world, young people are actively working to support peacebuilding and peace processes, and they are calling for more formal recognition of their efforts in ongoing peace negotiations.

Historically, peace processes have focused on negotiations between key stakeholders and decision-makers within conflict parties, with minimal opportunity and attention directed towards inclusive processes and agreements. Whereas many peace agreements have been signed globally, youth inclusion is minimal across multiple regions and countries, given the impact of conflicts on young men and women.

The complexity of mechanisms for peacemaking during armed conflicts, coupled with the increasing numbers and roles of multilateral actors and non-state actors, has exerted tremendous pressure on the capacity of the United Nations and other mediators. There is also a growing realization that a state-centered approach is insufficient to gain political leverage or regain trust between the state, armed actors, and excluded populations.

Studies indicate that the youth have the least trust in political institutions, including governments, media, businesses, and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and see them as having failed to uphold the social contract between the state and the youth. Young people continue to feel a sense of exclusion, inadequate representation, and inability to engage or address growing needs substantively.

The resultant effect is the emergence of young people challenging the status quo through various means, including organized movements and other nonviolent actions to address the social, political, and economic inequality and exclusion plaguing societies worldwide. Marginalizing young people propels this political distrust, increasing political failure, and disaffection. The temporal, non-linear, and cyclical dimensions of peace processes indicate that youth inclusion in peace negotiations has short and long-term implications for the sustainability of peace agreements.

While young people, and young women, in particular, have largely been excluded from peace talks and formal processes, the adoption of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250 (2015) on Youth, Peace, and Security has paved the way for youth inclusive peace processes.

The Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS) and Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agendas focus on more inclusive peace and security processes to create sustainable peace. Young women often face multiple forms of discrimination and exclusion, hindering their participation in public life, including peace processes and political decision-making. Therefore, it is crucial to pay specific attention to these challenges and create equal opportunities for young women and men to participate in peace processes; inside, around, and outside the negotiation room. The Global Conference aims to explore the interlinkages between the two agendas, highlight the achievements of young women, address the challenges they face, and mainstream gender and Women's Peace Security perspectives throughout the event.

International Symposium on Youth Participation in Peace Processes, which took place in Helsinki, Finland, on 5-6 March 2019, brought together over 100 participants from 45 different countries with expertise on peace and meditation processes. Participants included young peacebuilders, senior-level peace mediators and negotiators, government ministers, United Nations, African Union, and European Union representatives. Its central theme was Young people's engagement in peace negotiations. 

The Global Policy Paper "WE ARE HERE: An Integrated Approach to Youth-Inclusive Peace Processes," developed in conjunction with the Symposium, articulated for the first time that inclusion and participation of youth in peace processes cuts across three interconnected layers, called In the Room (youth participation within the traditional peace architecture and structures, inside the room during peace negotiations and political dialogues), Around the Room (young people not directly in the room, but close to the peace agreement through formal or informal mechanisms and who can get in the room) and Outside the Room (young people who engage and participate through informal and alternative approaches).

It provides a comprehensive overview of youth participation in past and current peace processes and demonstrates that youth influence does not always correlate with proximity to the negotiation table. For example, "outside the room" youth participation can be more influential than passive youth representation "inside the room." The Global Policy paper also argues that the inclusion of young people during all phases of peace processes likely increases the sustainability of the agreements.

To celebrate and acknowledge the influential role that young people play in building and sustaining peace, the Global Conference builds on the progress made since the adoption of UNSCR 2250 on Youth, Peace, and Security in 2015 and on the International Symposium on Youth Participation in Peace Processes in Helsinki. The Global Conference sets out to become a turning point for the youth, peace, and security agenda by generating tangible political commitments at a national level and strengthening buy-in for the more vital enabling environment for youth-inclusive peace processes to become more sustainable. It aims to report on progress at the country-level, where young people have been constructively contributing to formal and informal peace processes.

Building on the efforts by young people striving to influence peace processes in their representative countries, and the Statement made by the President of the Security Council, recommending the facilitation of "young people's meaningful participation in peace processes and all decision-making levels, the Global Conference aims to strengthen political will and commitment towards including youth into peace processes.

The International Helsinki Symposium on Youth Participation in Peace Processes, as well as the recommendations from the Global Policy Paper "We are Here " -An Integrated approach to Youth-Inclusive Peace Processes, aims to secure national commitments from Heads of State and other High-Level Government representatives to advance country-level operationalization of the Youth Peace Security plan based on specific contexts. To strengthen meaningful youth participation in peace processes as called for by UNSC resolutions 2250, 2419, and 2535.

The Network for Religious and Traditional peacemakers are launching a guide, "Building Peacemakers Together: Youth-led Initiatives to prevent violent extremism. Building Peacemakers Together guide is a collection of learnings and advice to guide and inspire young people on their journey to build peace and social cohesion in their communities. The youth movement drives positive action worldwide and proves that young people are change agents.

The youth are the leading providers of peace, resilience, stability, and security in Africa. At The Youth Café, we are working hard to curb violent extremism, prevent artificial and natural conflicts and strengthen young people's proactive roles in regional peace security.

The Youth Café, a safe space for youth empowerment in Africa, actively engages and participates in maintaining and promoting local and international peace and security both Africa and Globally through social media platforms.

The Youth Café works with young men and women around Africa as a trailblazer in advancing youth-led approaches toward achieving sustainable development, social equity, innovative solutions, community resilience, and transformative change.

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