The UNOY West and Central Africa (WCA) regional network comprises 27 member organisations across 14 countries.

Many members in the region lack the necessary resources, and face strong competition from bigger organisations and government institutions in a tight donor space. But, we are doing incredibly well in the areas of intergenerational and intersectional engagements, education, climate change, youth leadership development, peace education, rehabilitation and reintegration of ex-combatants and street-absorbed youth and community services.

~ Lawal, former Regional Coordinator

The West and Central Africa region was the first (along with Asia) to decentralise through the establishment of a coordination structure in 2017 by a member organisation. This locally-led process of decentralisation and decolonisation is making UNOY Peacebuilders more inclusive and representative. The regional network also hosts many members of the African Youth Advocacy Team (A-YAT), which engages with regional institutions such as the African Union, ECOWAS, and other stakeholders for the operationalisation of the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda.

Key among the regional network’s priorities are piloting last YPS national developments and fostering intergenerational dialogues. Seizing regional momentum in this respect, member organisations will be meeting in-person this year to exchange best-practices, engage in peer-learning and explore strategies for effective YPS advocacy and National Action Plan (NAP) development and implementation.

In 2025, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agenda, UNOY members from West and Central Africa convened the West and Central Africa Youth4Peace Forum in Accra (Ghana). The forum brought together 15 young peacebuilders from 11 countries across the region and provided a platform for knowledge exchange and to strengthen their capacity to lead national Youth, Peace and Security implementation efforts, particularly through the development and implementation of National Action Plans on Youth, Peace and Security. Issah Toha Shamsoo, the WCA Regional Coordinator, noted that the forum leveraged peer learning and roundtable discussions with external stakeholders to promote intergenerational dialogue, strengthen partnerships, and advocate for the meaningful inclusion of youth in peace processes at all levels.