A one-day National Youth, Peace and Security Conference which UNFPA co-organized with the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs together with other partners took place today. The high-level conference held under the theme “Youth as Agents of Peace” engaged youth organizations from all regions, sector government ministries, development partners, the private sector and other stakeholders. 

The conference was designed to create awareness on the process of development of the Ethiopian National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security. The conference also aimed at prioritizing the role of youth in peace-building while enhancing their capacity for conflict resolution. 
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the conference, H.E. Dr. Ergogie Tesfaye, Minister of Women and Social Affairs, said “collaboration among youth is critical for creating the nation we want.” She underlined that lasting peace requires the collaborative effort of all actors, with youth contributions being particularly significant.

Ethiopia is in the process of developing a five-year national action plan on youth, peace and security aligned to national and international frameworks to ensure that they youth play a key role in conflict resolution and nation-building.

Mr. Koffi Kouame, UNFPA Country Representative, said on the occasion that the conference provided an opportunity for youth to share their ideas on creating sustainable peace. He noted that the five-year national action plan would enhance the skills and decision-making abilities of the youth on peacebuilding reiterating UNFPA’s commitment to support the effective implementation of this framework.

The conference engaged various stakeholders to stocktake inputs to ensure that the national action plan on youth, peace and security is developed in a participatory and inclusive manner so that it will be relevant to the needs of the youth. The conference highlighted the challenges and opportunities faced by Ethiopian youth in relation to peace and security and identified some concrete actions that can be taken to address the challenges. 

The conference underscored the need to ensure coordination among stakeholders and partners to mobilize resources and robustly engage in the development and implementation of the national action plan on youth, peace and security. It also highlighted the importance of ensuring gender balance in the development and implementation process of the national action plan for the credibility, ownership, and sustainability of the process.