The landmark Security Council resolution 2250 (2015) on Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) recognized the important role of young people in maintaining and promoting international peace and security. It identified five key pillars for action: participation, protection, prevention, partnerships, and disarmament and reintegration. Since then, advancing the YPS agenda has become a UN priority. From 2018 to 2023, the Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) invested over $291 million in 161 projects across 48 countries, focusing largely on local-level engagement.
This brief considers some of the lessons learned from that local-level engagement and peacebuilding programming, as part of a larger year-long Thematic Review of the PBF’s support for youth programming and advancing the YPS agenda, in particular as relates to the participation pillar. It examines 12 PBF-supported projects, identifying successful strategies for enhancing youth participation and its impact on social cohesion, conflict resolution and sustainable peace. It also explores remaining challenges and proposes actionable recommendations for strengthening youth inclusion in local peacebuilding efforts.
Access the brief here.
Suggested citation: Imane Karimou. Youth participation in local decision-making and peacebuilding : UNU-CPR, 2025.
