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Young people are resisting, protesting, organizing & implementing peacebuilding - UN Youth Envoy

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Opening remarks by Ms. Jayathma Wickramanayake, the Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth, at the implementation of the youth, peace and security agenda.
The UN Youth Envoy told the Security Council that young people must not only be engaged as “beneficiaries, but as equal partners in all our efforts, especially in our efforts to prevent conflict and build peace.”
Addressing the Security Council today (17 Jul) in a meeting on youth, peace and security, Jayathma Wickramanayake said, “Without action to address inequality, intolerance and the climate emergency that faces us all, this generation of young people could face devastating implications.”
Wickramanayake said there are 1.8 billion young people in the world making them the largest generation of young people ever, with some 90 per cent of them live in developing countries. She said young people care about peace, but still suffer from stereotypes that affect realizing their full potential for peace.
SOUNDBITE (English) Jayathma Wickramanayake, Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Youth, United Nations:
“Despite, myths, misconceptions, fake news, stereotypes, and claims that presume and portray them as troublemakers, young people are resisting, protesting, organizing and implementing youth lead peacebuilding initiatives in their communities and countries, to bring back democratic values, good governance and transparency in institutions in places they live. They are not waiting to be invited to join decision making tables, they are bringing alternative, innovative solutions to solve those global problems.”
The UN Youth Envoy said young peacebuilders and young human rights defenders being around the world are being subjected to threats, intimidation, violence, arbitrary arrest and retaliation by State and Non-State Actors. She called on governments to uphold and protect the fundamental rights of young people, including their freedom of expression both online and offline.
Wickramanayake said the successful implementation of UN Security Council resolutions 2250 and 2419 - related to youth, peace and security - requires further support, including through political will and ownership from Member States, funding for programming, institutional support for capacity-building and prioritizing.
She said achieving lasting peace is “not an elitist cause that governments, politicians, UN and other institutions can or should do alone.” She added, “Sustainable peace cannot be achieved at the cost of social inclusion. Our efforts to build and sustain peace need to be democratized to include the communities most affected. Young people are our best chance in succeeding at that.”
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