This document summarizes a training on sustaining peace in Liberia through youth participation in peaceful elections, with a focus on UN Security Council Resolution 2250 and Liberia's Peacebuilding Plan. It provides background on how youth were previously viewed in conflict situations and the roadmap to Resolution 2250. It outlines the goals and impacts of youth participation in peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and governance. It also summarizes key commitments in Liberia's Peacebuilding Plan by the government, civil society, and political parties to support youth and ensure free and fair elections.

1. WITH KEY FORCUS ON THE UNITED NATIN SECURITY
COUNCIL RESOLUTION 2250
AND THE LIBRIA PEACE BUILDING PLAN
By
FLOMO M. MAIWO
PROGRAM ASSISTANT
FEDERATION OF LIBERIAM YOUTH (FLY)
AND SECRETARY GENRAL
UNIVERSITY OF LIBERIA STUDENT UION (ULSU)

2. THEME OF THE TRAINING
INTRODUCTION
OBJECTIVE
BRIEF CONCEPT ABOUT YOUTH BEFORE UNSCR 2250
ROADMAP TO THE ADOPTION OF RSOLUTION 2250
OUTIME OF THE GLOBAL YOUTH FORUM
OVERVIEW OF THE UNITED NATION COUNSIL RESOLUTION 2250
KEY GOALS OF 2250
IMPACT OF YOUTH IN PEACE-BUILDING, CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND
DEMOCRATIC GOVERNENCE
 KEY IDEAS OF THE PEACE-BUILDING PLAN OF LIBERIA
SOME COMITTMENTS BY KEY PLAYERS
 GOL
CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS (CSOs) AND
POLITICAL PARTIES
 END (QUAETIONS, CONCERNS AND COMMENTS)

3. THEME:
“Sustaining Peace in
Liberia through
peaceful, fair and
transparent
elections- the Role of
Youth.”

4. BRIEF CONCEPT ABOUT YOUTH BEFORE THE
UNSCR 2250
The “Youth Bulge” for a long time was
predominantly in peace-building discussions
considered a threat to peace & stability.
Within international and national contexts, the
discourse on violence and violent extremism
frames young people as potential perpetrators of
violence despite the fact that most young people
are not involved in armed conflict or violence.
This framing was a harmful reduction of the role
young people play in preventing violence and
transforming conflicts.

5. Young people were seen as a demography
easily driven into violence and extremist
ideologies. However, this conception critically
fails to note young people’s huge and largely
untapped capacity for peace-building.
Young people were generally excluded or
marginalized during formal efforts to prevent
and resolve conflict not realizing the mounting
need to harness the youth bulge for sustaining
and building lasting peace.

6. ROADMAP TO THE ADOPTION OF THE UNSCR 2250
Fostering social cohesion and trust through an
inclusive and participatory peace-building process
during and after a transition or conflict has been a
challenging but necessary task. Many key
stakeholders were kept on the margins or excluded
from these processes.
In particular, the potential contribution and
inclusion of young people to effective peace-
building did received little attention and support in
the past.

7. In acknowledgement of the key role play by youth in
peace-building, the Security Council on 23 April
2015 held an open debate on “The Role of Youth in
Countering Violent Extremism and Promoting
Peace,” under the presidency of the Hashemite
Kingdom of Jordan.
The session was chaired by the H.R.H. the Crown
Prince of Jordan – who at the age of 20 was the
youngest person to ever preside over the Security
Council.

8. CONT.
In a follow-up to this debate and in recognition of
challenges posed by the lack of a policy framework
on youth, peace and security as well the
importance of young people’s role & leadership in
transforming conflict, countering violence and
building lasting peace; young people from across
the world on 21-22 August 2015, gathered together
with representatives of UN agencies, member
states, donors, non-governmental organizations,
academia, as well as practitioners to define and
commit to a new global agenda on youth, peace
and security in Amman, Jordan.

9. This Global Forum on Youth, Peace and
Security marked a turning point in recognizing
young people’s role in peace-building through a
multi-level, intergenerational conversation that
defined a new international agenda on youth,
peace and security.
Participants overwhelmingly agreed to promote
and support meaningful youth involvement at
all levels of peace-building, conflict
transformation, prevention and countering
violence and violent extremism.

10. It was recognized that it is a
demographic and democratic
imperative to include young people
in issues of peace and security and
that youth participation in shaping
peace is an effective way to counter
violent extremism.

11. •The first outcome of the Forum was the adoption of
the “Amman Youth Declaration on Youth, Peace and
Security.” It presented young people’s vision and
roadmap towards a strengthened policy framework in
support of young people’s roles in preventing and
transforming conflict, countering violent extremism
and building peace.
•The Amman Youth Declaration included a call for
the United Nations to establish a global policy
framework on youth in conflict and post-conflict
scenarios, and suggests a UN Security Council
resolution on Youth, Peace and Security as the ideal
outcome.

12. As highlighted by the Amman deceleration,
the United Nations Security Council On
December 9, 2015 at its 7,573rd meeting,
unanimously adopted resolution 2250 on
Youth, Peace and Security (YPS).
This resolution is the first global instrument
fully dedicated to the important and positive
role young women and men play in the
maintenance and promotion of peace and
security globally.

13. KEY GOALS OF UNSCR 2250
Key goal of UNSCR 2250 is the fuller
inclusion of young people in peace and
security solution seeking discussions
and young people must be given an
opportunity to effectively contribute to
discussions on key peace and security
issues in their communities, and to
identify solutions for and indicators for
progress.

14. IMPACTS OF YOUTH IN PEACEBUILDING, CONFLICT
RESOULTION AND DEMOCRATIC GOVERNENCE
“It is up to all to accept that youth are truly
tools of peace.” Youth participation and
inclusion into main-stream peace building
discourse is the most appropriate option to
recognize the role of young people and
institutionalize their contributions at every
levels. Decision makers need to ensure
youth are engaged as equal partners and
promote youth leadership in peace building
processes.

15. CONT.
Young people’s participation promotes
civic engagement and active citizenship.
With their involvement, young people can
cultivate leadership skills, fetch for an
interdependent honest opportunities to
shift the negative perceptions about them
and project themselves as partners in
building peaceful and sustainable
communities.

16. Drawing on the innovation and resilience of young
people; they exhibit leadership by tapping into
chances and making unique contributions to
prevention of violence and violent extremism, as
well building sustainable peace.
They can attain mainstream context-specific,
quality education that equips them with the ability
to engage constructively in peace dialogues by
indicating specific needs and assets that help in
conflict and post-conflict era.

17. CONT.
Youth inclusion in peace-building serve as
an opportunity for youth and non-youth
participants to voice action-oriented
resolutions to promote peace and security.
The role and understanding of young
people can help every peace-building
initiatives; they’re to be seen as part of
the solution and not just part of the
problem.

18. GNENRAL IDEA OF THE PBPL OF LIBERIA
The PBPL serve as a policy instrument for consolidating and
prioritizing commitments to address risks and resilience
factors which threaten peace and stability;
It’s a mechanism for partnership between the Government of
Liberia and the international community;
The peace-building plan establishes an agreed roadmap for
immediate actions to be undertaken as part of a successful
transition;
It establishes directional guidance for achieving a peaceful,
just and inclusive society based on the rule of law and
respect for human rights, and is in line with the broader goal
of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

19. Inclusive national ownership with
extensive consultations;
Consensus-based approach to conflict
sensitivity and transparency through
establishment of strategic peace-building
priorities based on agreed criteria;

20. GOL
Ensure free, fair, transparent and safe
conduct of the 2017 Presidential and
Legislative Elections in accordance with the
new Electoral Law; - NEC;
Create a nationwide network of socio-
psychological counseling services which
target vulnerable youth and help them with
their moral, ethical, intellectual and mental
health development; MoGCSP+MoH

21. The National Civil Society Council of
Liberia and its members resolve to
support the peace-building plan and
will continue to work assiduously
towards consolidating peace, and
reaffirms its commitment to hold
accountable the Government of Liberia
in the process of transition and the
implementation of the peace-building
plan.

22. POLITICAL PARTIES
Political parties resolve to support the
peace-building plan for Liberia, and to
work with the Government of Liberia,
the United Nations System, regional
organizations, bi- and multi-lateral
partners, and civil society to actively
pursue the national peace-building
priorities outlined in Annex I and II.

23. Questions, Concerns and Comments