To build on the growing national and regional momentum to localize the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agenda through the development and implementation of National Action Plans (NAPs), the United Network of Young Peacebuilders (UNOY Peacebuilders), in partnership with the West Africa Centre for Peace Foundation (WACPF), will convene the West and Central Africa Youth4Peace Forum in Accra, Ghana from May 27 to 29, 2025.
While commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agenda, this Forum brings together 15 youth peacebuilders from 11 countries across West and Central Africa for knowledge-sharing, networking, and learning.
The three-day event aims to accelerate national YPS implementation through meaningful youth engagement. A central focus of the Forum is to strengthen young people’s leadership in developing, implementing, and monitoring National Action Plans (NAPs) on Youth, Peace and Security, which are necessary for translating the YPS agenda into national policies and ensuring accountability.
One of the forum’s key outcomes will be peer exchange: young peacebuilders from countries like Nigeria and The Gambia, where NAPs are already being implemented, will share experiences with peers from Ghana, Benin, Liberia, and others where NAP processes are currently underway.
As momentum builds across the region for the localization of the YPS agenda, the West and Central Africa Youth4Peace Forum would also facilitate mutual learning amongst young peacebuilders, national and regional policy makers, and other YPS stakeholders to collectively strengthen meaningful youth engagement and progress in national YPS implementation efforts.
