Huge step for youth by United Nations

In a hugely positive step for young people worldwide the United Nations’ Security Council has adopted a Resolution on Youth, Peace and Security. The European Youth Forum strongly welcomes this Resolution and calls for it to be used as a tool to give young people access to their rights, so that their role in peace building would be enforced.

The first ever resolution on youth from the Security Council (one of the main organs of the United Nations) calls for greater participation of young people in the prevention and resolution of conflict. The Youth Forum welcomes the focus in the resolution of the role of youth organisations, as well as the call it makes for young people to be truly represented in decision making at all levels.

The Resolution also highlights the need to protect young people in armed conflict and calls on Member States to increase their political and financial support, taking into account youth and young people’s participation in peace efforts.

The European Youth Forum sees this Resolution as a major breakthrough in the United Nations’ recognition of youth as a positive force for good and calls for it to be properly implemented in order to help build peaceful societies.

Johanna Nyman, President of the European Youth Forum, said:

“Too often young people are seen as either the victims or the perpetrators of violence and conflict. We are delighted with this resolution because it changes the rhetoric and places youth at the heart of peace building and prevention of conflict. The Youth Forum has called for such a resolution for many years and so we are particularly happy to see the support it has received. We must now join forces to ensure that young people’s rights are protected and that through the implementation of this resolution youth has a greater part in solving conflict, building peace and participating in building more sustainable societies."

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Notes for editors

The full resolution can be found here.

About the European Youth Forum

The European Youth Forum is the platform of youth organisations in Europe. Independent, democratic, youth-led, it represents over 100 National Youth Councils and international youth organisations from across the continent. The Forum works to empower young people to participate actively in society to improve their own lives, by representing and advocating their needs and interests and those of their organisations towards the European Union, the Council of Europe and the United Nations. For more information, visit www.youthforum.org