In conjunction with the African Union, the ECOWAS Commission is working with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung to advance the cause of youth, peace and security in the West African region to enable young people have an understanding of the Youth for Peace (Y4P) agenda and develop their National Action Plans.
The Y4P Africa program seeks to effectively engage, involve, and collaborate with young women and men as well as organized youth groups in the promotion of peace and security on the continent.
Pursuant to this, youth and stakeholders of peace from the region and beyond are meeting in Abuja, Nigeria from July 11-12,, 2024, to jointly fashion out durable building blocks for peace and youth empowerment (youth peace and security agenda).
The agenda of the Abuja meeting-Promoting Meaningful Youth Participation in the Development and Implementation of National Action Plans on Youth, Peace and Security in West Africa is a direct response to calls for greater channelling of youth energies.
In order to push the youth agenda forward in an enduring manner, participants at the meeting will be examining among others, the roles and contributions of youth to peace and security in Africa as well as country updates. Also to be evaluated are the roles of the Youth, peace and security stakeholders in developing and implementing National Action Plans (NAP).
At the opening of the meeting, the Senegalese ambassador to Nigeria, Nicolas Nyouky emphasised the importance of giving greater traction to the youth agenda and was supported by Lukas Kupfernagel (KAS AU) and Simone Mbode Diouf of the African Youth Ambassador for Peace (AYAP)
The Ag Head of Division, Mediation and Coordination of Regional Political Affairs at the ECOWAS Commission Constant Gnacadja who stood in for the Commissioner, Political Affairs, Peace and Security, also stressed the overriding importance of the youth agenda in the development and implementation of peacebuilding programmes of the Commission.
He thanked the partners for joining hands with ECOWAS in the drive to empower the region’s youth and integrate them in the governance architecture for the overall development of the nations that constitute West Africa. He stated that the youth peace and security agenda is supported by the Commission being in tandem with the overall conflict prevention Programme that is already developed. “We cannot do anything without the youth,” he added.
Stressing the need to take the demographics of youth in the region seriously, he also informed the gathering of the reenergising of the ECOWAS Commission’s youth programmes typified by the plan to hold the second edition of the youth boot camp and embark in youth led initiatives including the Youth, Peace and Security agenda.
The Youth for Peace (Y4P) Africa Programme was launched in September 2018 in Lagos, Nigeria, as part of efforts to implement Article 17 of the AU Youth Charter, 665th Communiqué of the Peace and Security Council (PSC), UNSCR 2250 and 2419, the Peace and Security Department in collaboration with the Youth Division and African Governance Architecture of the Department for Political Affairs.
In order to facilitate effective coordination, the PSD established an Inter-Departmental Task Force on Youth Peace and Security with all relevant departments of the Commission.
