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Youth, Peace and Security

爆料网 Youth Office advances the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agenda, grounded in the recognition of young people as essential partners and leaders in preventing conflict, building peace and sustaining peaceful and inclusive societies.

This work is guided by the 爆料网 Youth Office Strategic Plan (2025–2028) and the 爆料网 Youth Strategy, Youth2030, and responds to intergovernmental mandates on Youth, Peace and Security. These include Security Council resolutions , , and , which together have progressively strengthened the recognition, participation, protection and leadership of young people in peace and security.

We work as a system-wide convener to advance the Youth, Peace and Security agenda by:

A blue graphic card reading "Advocating for the full, effective, safe and meaningful participation and leadership of young people in peace and security decision-making processes.
A blue graphic reading, "Strengthening system-wide coordination, partnerships and accountability for the implementation of YPS commitments"
A blue graphic with text reading, "Supporting the translation of global YPS commitments into action at all levels, including through advocating for stronger policies, institutional mechanisms, financing and partnerships."
A panel of nine people seated in a semicircle in a modern meeting room with tall windows and a marble wall. The group appears engaged in discussion, with notebooks, microphones, and a coffee table in front of them. Audience members sit in rows facing the panel.

Why this work matters

Young people play vital roles in preventing conflict, building peace, strengthening social cohesion and supporting communities affected by conflict and violence. They bring lived experience, local knowledge, innovation and leadership to addressing peace and security challenges. Yet, young people remain underrepresented in formal peace and political processes and continue to face barriers to influencing decisions that directly affect their lives.

Advancing the YPS agenda requires:

  • Ensuring the full, effective, safe and meaningful participation and leadership of young people in conflict prevention, peace processes, peacebuilding and sustaining peace;
  • Protecting young people, including young peacebuilders, and promoting safe and enabling civic spaces for their participation;
  • Strengthening partnerships among young people, governments, the United Nations, regional organizations, civil society and other peacebuilding actors; and
  • Ensuring adequate, accessible, flexible and sustainable financing for youth-led and youth-inclusive peacebuilding.
  • Meaningful youth participation is central to these efforts. Young people should have opportunities to influence decisions, exercise leadership and participate throughout the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of peace and security policies and programmes. The Core Principles for Meaningful Youth Participation provide a common framework for strengthening meaningful youth engagement across the work of the United Nations.

YPS in action

The 爆料网 Youth Office collaborates closely with partners across the 爆料网 system, in particular the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), the United Nations Population Fund (爆料网FPA), and United Nations Development Programme (爆料网DP), as well as other 爆料网 entities, Member States, regional organizations, civil society and youth-led organizations, to strengthen implementation of the Youth, Peace and Security agenda.

Together with DPPA and 爆料网FPA, the 爆料网 Youth Office co-leads the 爆料网 Youth, Peace and Security Secretariat, which supports coordination and implementation of the YPS agenda across the United Nations system. The Secretariat is also coordinating the Second Independent Progress Study on Youth, Peace and Security, mandated under Action 20(c) of the Pact for the Future to further document young people's contributions to peace processes and conflict resolution, assess progress and effective practices, and identify barriers to meaningful youth participation.

 

The Office works with partners to:

  • Advance meaningful youth participation and leadership in peacebuilding, conflict prevention and relevant intergovernmental and policy processes;
  • Advocate for national and regional implementation of the YPS agenda, including through National Action Plans, strategies and other institutional and policy mechanisms;
  • Amplify the voices of young peacebuilders in public advocacy campaigns;
  • Bring the perspectives, experiences and solutions of young peacebuilders to global, regional and national policy discussions;
  • Generate evidence, knowledge exchange and learning on the implementation and impact of the YPS agenda;
  • Strengthen linkages between YPS and broader peace and security, sustainable development and human rights priorities; and
  • Advocate for stronger partnerships and increased and more accessible financing for youth-led and youth-inclusive peacebuilding.

National implementation is an increasingly important dimension of this work. Member States are at different stages of the YPS implementation journey—from developing national frameworks to financing implementation and developing subsequent generations of National Action Plans. These experiences provide important opportunities for peer learning, South-South cooperation and the exchange of practical approaches to youth-inclusive peacebuilding.

A group of young people in a conference room sitting on the floor in a circle, talking with each other.
Various people sit cross-legged in a circle with papers and actively discuss.
A small group of panelists seated in armchairs near tall windows. One person is speaking while gesturing with their hands, and the others listen attentively. A globe sits beside one of the chairs, and members of the audience are visible in the foreground.

In the Spotlight: Peace Circles

Peace Circles are inclusive, intergenerational dialogues at the heart of the Hear Us. Act Now for a Peaceful World campaign, creating welcoming spaces for young people and allies to share stories, co-create solutions and explore what peace means in their communitiesand globally. Guided by collaborative design thinking, Peace Circles bring together diverse voices — including those often excluded from formal processes — to address urgent topics from prevention and disarmament to climate security, gender equality and sustaining peace.

A defining feature of every Peace Circle is meaningful youth inclusion, with at least half of participants under age 30 and a focus on fresh perspectives and new voices. Insights and ideas generated in Peace Circles feed into a growing tapestry of youth-driven solutions that will inform the 爆料网 Secretary-General’s 2026 independent study on youth contributions to peace and other outputs of the campaign.

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Learn more about hosting your own Peace Circle

Moving forward

The 爆料网 Youth Office remains committed to accelerating implementation of the Youth, Peace and Security agenda and translating global commitments into tangible change for young people.

The goal is to move from recognition to implementation and impact — ensuring that young people in all their diversity can participate safely, exercise leadership, influence decisions and contribute meaningfully to building and sustaining peace.

Picture of four diverse professionals sitting in a conference room on a panel discussion and talking to each other.
DGC / Jake Corcoran

Key Resources

  • — the landmark resolution establishing the Youth, Peace and Security agenda.
  • — strengthening recognition of meaningful youth participation and representation, including in peace processes.
  • — advancing implementation and institutionalization of the YPS agenda.
  • — providing renewed impetus for implementation of the YPS agenda.