It’s International Youth Day!

Today is International Youth Day and this year’s theme is Youth Civic Engagement!

The engagement and participation of youth is essential to achieve sustainable human development. Yet often the opportunities for youth to engage politically, economically and socially are low or non-existent. We believe youth are change makers and their work should be supported and recognized. Next week, the Global Forum on Youth, Peace & Security in Amman, Jordan will give youth the opportunity to finally have a say on the matters. 500 hundred participants including youth activists, youth-led organizations, UN entities and governments will come together to agree on a common vision and roadmap towards countering violent extremism and building sustainable peace.

There are more than one billion youth around the world, of which approximately 600 million live in conflict-affected areas. This emphasizes the importance of engaging youth in policy making. If youth remain excluded from national and international efforts at building peace, violent extremism and instability will remain a threat for all sectors in society. Thus, the most effective way to counter extremist movements is to offer young people meaningful ways to make a difference and positively contribute.

To achieve this, the United Nations Security Council can play a vital role by providing youth the support and the recognition they need. They can ensure that youth have access to national governments and international organizations. As the body charged with maintaining peace and security, only through the Security Council can the international community show its commitment to including youth as a key actor to work towards sustainable peace. This is why it is crucial for you to take part in our #youth4peace campaign and to sign our petition calling on the United Nations Security Council to adopt a resolution that highlights and supports young people to act as positive agents in building peace and security. We need as many voices as possible to raise awareness about the importance of youth civic engagement and its benefits to society. Only then can we achieve sustainable peace.

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