AU Validates Continental Framework On Youth, Security
The Youth for Peace Africa (Y4P) program of the African Union Commission (AUC) has validates the draft Continental framework on youth and security.
This was harnessed in a workshop in Accra, Ghana from the discussions and inputs by representatives of youth from five regions of the Continent working on peace and security of the Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution (RECs/RMs) in Africa.
In a statement made available on Monday by the Communication Officer, AU Peace and Security Department, Ms the Analyst within the conflict Prevention and Early Warning Division (CPEWD) of the AU PSD, Dr. Rhuks Ako, noted that the African youth charter adopted by the AU Assembly in Banjul, Gambia, recognises the important role of youth in promoting peace and security in Africa.
Ako said “Greater participation by young people to peace and security is a fundamental requirement for the promotion of peace and security within the continent leading to the empowerment of youth in the decision making processes.”
Speaking, the head of Programme, peace and security Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit African Union Office (GIZ-AU), Mr. David Nii Addy, said “This meeting is a testimony for joint commitment to protecting young people from the negative consequences of violent conflict, while searching to expand existing avenues for effective youth participation in national, regional and continental peace initiatives”.
The study was supported by the representatives from the UN development Programme Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCR) and Training for Peace (TfP) and also applauded the process leading to the validation while also reiterating their commitment to support the programme via the promotion of youth centered conflict analysis.
The OCHR and TfP further pledged it’s support through the increasing youth contribution to decision making and expressed appreciation to Pan African for Continental prosperity through meaningful change in the life of the youth.
The Program which primarily seeks to promote the meaningful participation of youth in all spectrums of peace and security while engaging them as leaders, partners and implementers of peace initiatives but also working to dissuade them from all acts of violence by engaging them to contribute to the peace and Security in Africa.
The Youth for Peace Africa (Y4P) Program
The Youth for Peace (Y4P) Africa Program of the African Union Commission, managed by its Peace and Security Department, was launched in September 2018, in Lagos, Nigeria, with the mandate of implementing Article 17 of the Africa Youth Charter (AYC), United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2250 and all relevant regional, AU and international instruments, relating to the role of the youth in the promotion of peace and security in Africa and to contribute towards the actualization of Aspiration four and six of Agenda 2063, that is, especially its flagship project –Silencing the Guns by 2020.The Program primarily seeks to promote the meaningful participation of youth in all spectrums of peace and security by engaging them as leaders, partners and implementers of peace initiatives but also working to dissuade them from all acts of violence.About the Study on the Roles and Contributions of Youth to Peace and Security in Africa.
The African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (AUPSC), during its first open session on Youth, Peace and Security, held on 8 November 2018, mandated the Youth for Peace (Y4P) Africa Program, to conduct an authoritative study on the roles and contributions of youth to peace and security in Africa.
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The major aim of the study, as mandated by the PSC, is to highlight the roles and contributions of African youth in peace and security to inform strategic policy making and programming that will foster effective youth engagement and inclusion in the promotion of peace and security on the continent. The specific objectives of the study include: identification of existing mechanisms and strategies at national, regional and continental levels for meaningful participation of youth in peace and security; examine the challenges confronting active youth involvement in peace and security; and recommend policy and program-oriented strategies to facilitate meaningful engagement and participation on peace and security. To achieve the aforementioned aim and objectives, a methodological workshop with youth representatives and researchers held in December 2018, to define the most suited approach to be adopted for the study. The workshop identified need to organize regional consultations in each of the five (5) regions of Africa, conduct field visit in three (3) countries each from five (5) regions including key criteria for selection; and identified thematic areas of focus to include conflict prevention, management and resolution; peace support operations; post-conflict reconstruction and development; and cross-cutting issues of gender, climate change and migration.
The Continental Framework on Youth, Peace and Security
The YPS Framework is a joint initiative between the Departments of Peace and Security; Political Affairs; and Human Resource, Science and Technology. It provides the normative guidance for engagement between and among the Commission, RECs/RMs, Member States and youth based on existing frameworks and policies. It is anchored on Article 11 and 17 of the Africa Youth Charter (AYC) of July 2006, as well as United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2250 of December 2015.The Framework seeks to actualize the objective of the Y4P Africa Program by providing normative guidance to facilitate the meaningful participation of youth in all spectrums of peace and security. As such, the Framework provides contextual background on the existing normative frameworks at the continental, regional and national levels for youth engagement; highlights the major and specific objectives of which it seeks to achieve; identifies gaps and challenges confronting youth involvement in peace and security; enumerates the cardinal priorities; proposes criteria for effective programming on youth, peace and security and elaborates on cross-cutting issues of gender, capacity building, communication, inclusivity and knowledge management as enabling mechanisms for the implementation of the Framework. It is expected that the Framework will guide the development of continental and regional strategic plans but most importantly the development and implementation of national action plans on YPS.
Existing Frameworks and Foundation for YPS
The importance of youth to socio-economic development, peace, and security in Africa is recognized by African institutions, including the African Union (AU) and Regional Economic Communities (RECs)/Regional Mechanisms (RMs) and their Member States. In fact, the AU and RECs/RMs have a track record of policy action and commitments on youth participation in democratization, socio-economic development, peace and security. Since the 1990s, the AU and RECs/RMs have adopted several normative instruments, including Charters, Protocols, Declarations, Policies and programmes that address the needs of young people broadly and in relation to peace and security.
Continental Initiatives: The normative frameworks and policy initiatives collectively serve as the rationale for this Framework and include the following: the AU Constitutive Act (2000); the Protocol Establishing the Peace and Security Council (PSC); the AYC; Agenda 2063 – especially Aspiration 6 “An Africa whose development is people-driven, relying on the potential of African people, especially its women and youth, and caring for children”; Silencing the Guns by 2020 Initiative; AU engagement with CSOs; AU theme on Youth in 2017; and Programmes of AU Youth Division; the African Governance Architecture (AGA) Platform; the Y4P Africa Program including landmark decisions by the PSC at its 807th meeting of 8th November 2018; and the Chairperson’s one million by 2021 initiative.
Regional Initiatives: RECs across Africa have also initiated a series of policies and programmes on youth development or mainstreamed youth issues into their peace and security agendas. For example, in West Africa, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has included youth among the priority areas in its conflict prevention Framework; the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) mainstreamed youth and youth issues into its Regional Strategy; and the East African Community (EAC) launched a Youth Policy and instituted the Youth Ambassadors to promote youth engagement. In other instances, RECs have launched programmes designed to address the underlying conditions associated with youth participation in violence, especially initiatives on youth empowerment and employment such as the Southern African Development Community’s (SADC) Youth Employment Promotion Policy.
National Initiatives: In tandem with Article 12 of the AYC, several Member States of the Union have developed a national youth policy, which is cross-sectoral in nature in view of the interrelated challenges confronting young people. National Youth Council (NYC) has equally been established to foster youth participation and coordinate the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the policies. Most of the national youth policies provide cardinal roles and responsibilities for young people in the field of governance, peace and security. Other programmes such as National Youth Services Schemes or Programmes are developed and implemented.
