ACCORD, through the Training for Peace in Africa (TFP) Programme, in partnership with the African Union Commission’s Political Affairs, Peace and Security Department (AUC PAPS) and the COMESA Governance, Peace and Security Programme (COMESA GPS), convened a two-day Reflective Seminar on Youth, Peace and Security National Action Plans (YPS NAPs) on 18–19 November 2024 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
In commemoration of 10 years of UNSCR 2250 and five years of the AU Continental Framework on Youth, Peace and Security (CFYPS), the seminar brought together youth peacebuilders, African Union Youth Ambassadors for Peace (AYAPs), policymakers and practitioners from across the continent to reflect on progress, identify persistent gaps and strengthen pathways for advancing YPS NAPs in Africa.
Opening the seminar, Ms Karishma Rajoo, ACCORD’s General Manager for Programmes, emphasised the importance of moving beyond frameworks towards tangible outcomes, underscoring that policies only become meaningful when driven by action, support and implementation led by young people and their networks. She noted that the seminar formed part of a broader continuum of conversations aimed at propelling Africa forward in advancing the YPS agenda.
Setting the scene for the two-day engagement, Mr Christian Achaleke, former AYAP for Central Africa, posed key structural and practical challenges confronting the YPS agenda, for the audience to reflect on as they prepared their engagements during the seminar. These included a lack of coordination across stakeholders, a lack of greater youth investment in technical expertise, and gaps in evidence-generation and documentation to ensure that lessons learned are captured and shared for future learning.
Following an overview of the seminar objectives, participants engaged in experience-sharing discussions reflecting on national journeys of developing and implementing YPS NAPs. Drawing from diverse country contexts, the discussions surfaced notable achievements such as strengthened youth participation in policy processes, alongside recurring challenges related to coordination, political buy-in and sustainable resourcing.
A core feature of the seminar was a series of in-depth group work sessions focused on strengthening the full YPS NAP cycle, a way for the young people in the room to co-create practical pathways forward. Participants examined best practices, challenges and opportunities across four key areas: conceptualising YPS NAPs with interest groups; endorsing and building momentum for YPS NAPs; implementing and securing endorsement of YPS NAPs; and raising awareness and domesticating YPS NAPs among and with youth. The group discussions enabled peer learning and generated practical strategies to enhance national ownership, inclusivity and impact.
As the seminar drew to a close, H.E. Ambassador Churchill Ewumbue-Monono, Cameroon’s Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union, reaffirmed his country’s commitment to empowering young peacebuilders and supporting youth-led contributions to peace and security efforts on the continent. His remarks underscored the importance of sustained political commitment and partnerships in ensuring that YPS NAPs translate into meaningful change.The insights generated over the two days informed the Stocktaking Conference hosted by COMESA and the 4th Edition of the Continental Dialogue on YPS in Africa, which was hosted by H.E. Evariste Ndayishimiye, President of the Republic of Burundi, and Champion of the African Union for the promotion of the “Youth, Peace and Security Agenda in Africa” programme.
