UN event marks 10th anniversary of youth, peace and security resolution; speakers urge youth inclusion

Speakers at a United Nations event marked the 10th anniversary of Security Council Resolution 2250 on youth, peace and security and urged that young people be given a seat at the table for peacebuilding and policymaking.

The gathering opened with remarks from Speaker 1, who framed the milestone and said, “Young people are not bystanders in conflict. They are leaders. They are partners, and they are problem solvers.” The speaker emphasized the need to bring youth voices into forums where decisions affecting peace and security are made.

Speaker 2, identified themself as a Young Leader for the Sustainable Development Goals with the United Nations and said the language of “youth, peace, and security” carries weight from personal experience in Afghanistan. “I started my journey of activism at 14,” Speaker 2 said, arguing that age should not limit someone’s ability to contribute to change.

Speaker 3 described security and social challenges facing young people in their home country, citing depression and gang violence as examples and stating, “I think young people should be part of the solution.” Other participants reiterated similar themes: Speaker 4 said young people are already acting for improvement today, Speaker 5 urged that youth be included at peace tables to rebuild communities after war, and Speaker 6 called youth the backbone of countries and said peace and security cannot be ensured without them.

No formal motions or votes were recorded during the remarks. The event focused on testimony and appeals for youth inclusion rather than on specific policy outcomes or implementation steps.

Speakers used the anniversary to press for more consistent youth representation in peace processes and institutional forums. The session did not specify next procedural steps, budgets, or formal directives to agencies; those details were not provided in the remarks.