Adopted by the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) at its 1183^rd meeting held on 3 November 2023 on the theme: Youth, Peace and Security in Africa:

The Peace and Security Council,

Recalling the African Youth Charter adopted by the 7^th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly of Heads of States and Government held in Banjul, The Gambia, on 2 July 2006, particularly Article 17, which recognizes the important role of the youth in promoting peace and security in Africa;  

Also recalling Assembly Decisions related to the theme, including [Assembly/AU/Dec.842 (XXXVI)] adopted by the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government at its 36^th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union held from 18 to 19 February 2023 and [Assembly/AU/Dec.815(XXXV)] adopted by the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government  at its 35^th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union held from 5 to 6 February 2022, as well as the United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCR) 2250 (2015), 2419 (2018) and 2535 (2020);

Further recalling the Bujumbura Declaration adopted on 23 April 2022 following a successful convening of the Continental Dialogue on Youth, Peace and Security in Bujumbura, Republic of Burundi;

Committed to the implementation of its previous decisions and pronouncements on Youth Peace and Security, particularly Press Statement [PSC/PR/PS.1118 (2022)] adopted at its 1118^th meeting held on 3 November 2022, and Communiqué [PSC/PR/COMM.1067 (2022)] adopted at its 1067^th meeting held on 3 March 2022;

Faithful to the realization of Agenda 2063, particularly Aspirations 4 and 6, envisioning a peaceful and secure Africa and an Africa whose development is people-driven, relying on the potential offered by its people, especially women and youth and caring for children;

Noting the opening remarks made by H.E. Ambassador Abdi Mahmoud Eybe, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Djibouti to the AU and Chairperson of the PSC for November 2023,  the statement of H.E. Ambassador Adeoye Bankole, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, delivered on his behalf, and the statement by H.E. Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office to the AU;

Also noting the statement made by Ms. Chido Cleo Mpemba, the Special Envoy of the Chairperson of the AU Commission on Youth and the statements by the Africa Youth Ambassadors for Peace (AYAPs), namely: Mr. Achaleke Christian Leke, Central African Region; Ms. Diana Paulo Chando, Eastern African Region; Ms. Khouloud Baghouri, Northern African Region; Ms Cynthia Chigwenya, Southern African region; and Mr. Mohamed Kunta, Western African region;

Reaffirming the AU’s commitment to include youth in peace and security processes in the Continent and to find solutions to the root causes of the crises and conflicts that affect African youth and hinder their legitimate aspirations for well-being, development and justice; and

Acting under Article 7 of its Protocol, the Peace and Security Council:

1. Acknowledges the significant efforts by the AU, Member States and the Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms (RECs/RMs) in ensuring the meaningful participation and inclusion of youth in the peace and security agenda of the Union;  and notes the legitimate increasing demand by the African youth for a more significant role in decision-making, as well as inclusion in political spheres and socio-economic opportunities in order to advance their development; in this regard, encourages Member States and RECs/RMs to redouble their efforts in promoting youth as partners in enhancing peace, security and stability on the Continent, including through the development and implementation of national action plans (NAPs) on Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agenda;

2. Commends the efforts deployed by H.E. Évariste Ndayishimiye, President of the Republic of Burundi in his capacity as the AU Champion for the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda, in advancing the YPS agenda of the AU and engaging African youth across the Continent, ensuring their inclusion in peace efforts in Africa;

3. Applauds Member States which have already signed, ratified and domesticated the African Youth Charter; and those  who have developed or begun development of their respective NAPs on YPS, including Nigeria, Uganda, Seychelles, Kenya, Liberia and Cameroon; encourages those Member States, which are yet to do so, to do the same; further encourages Member states to redouble efforts and availing requisite resources in the implementation of the UN Security Council Resolutions 2250 (2015),  2419 (2018) and 2535 (2020); reiterates its request to the AU Commission, in close collaboration with the RECs/RMs, and including through the sustained advocacy efforts of the Special Envoy of the Chairperson of the AU Commission on Youth and the AYAPs, to provide Member States with requisite support to develop NAPs;

4. Commends the youth for their important role at national, regional and continental levels in the prevention of violence, the promotion of peace, security, stability and socio-economic development and efforts towards building foundations for peaceful societies within the framework of the implementation of the AU Master Roadmap of Practical Steps to Silence the Guns in Africa by the Year 2030, and Aspiration 4 of Agenda 2063, the Continental Framework on Youth Peace and Security (CFYPS) and its 10-Year Implementation Plan as well as UN Security Council Resolutions 2250 (2015), 2419 (2018) and 2535 (2020);

5. Congratulates the outgoing Special Envoy of the Chairperson of the AU Commission on Youth and the Second cohort of AYAPs, whose tenure ends in February 2024, for their immense contributions in advancing the meaningful participation of young peacebuilders across the Continent, as well as for advocating for the sensitization, development and domestication of NAPs in their respective regions; encourages them to continue advancing the YPS agenda in their future endeavours;

6. Welcomes the update provided by the AU Commission on the ongoing process to select the Third Cohort of AYAPs and the First Cohort of the Network of African Youth in Conflict Prevention and Mediation (WiseYouth Network) and, in this regard, looks forward to engaging with AYAPs and WiseYouth Network members  to be selected;

7. Underscores the need for continued close collaboration and complementarity of efforts between the new Special Envoy of the Chairperson of the AU Commission on Youth, the AYAPs, the WiseYouth Network, as well as Youth Focal Points in the RECs/RMs, national and various youth networks for peace to ensure that efforts and programs are context-specific;

8. Underscores the following actions as critical components for advancing the YPS agenda on the continent:

a. The need for continued synergized collaboration between the AU Commission, RECs/RMs and other sub-regional organizations on the implementation of the CFYPS, including in supporting Member States to develop and implement youth-centered and -led NAPs;

b. The need to invest in the youth in terms of research, capacity building, mentorship, and development initiatives that empower young people to actively carry out their roles in advancing peace, security, and stability at local, national, regional, and continental levels, as well as provision of financial inclusion of youth using cutting edge technologies to encourage youth empowerment in entrepreneurship;

c. The imperative for Member States to further promote the political participation of young people, including within civil society organizations and political parties, to facilitate greater inclusion in decision-making processes and enable the youth to be co-creators of bold and innovative solutions to challenges that face them, and promote the role of the youth through concrete continental actions, taking advantage of specialized youth institutions and bodies such as the Pan-African Youth Union;

d. The need to anticipate and further enhance the capacities of youth to be consistently at the forefront of addressing new and emerging threats to peace and security, including on issues such as climate change impact, rising food insecurity, migration, evolving digital technologies and the impact of social media, amongst others;

e. The need to ensure that youth are intentionally and systematically engaged in mediation, dialogue, reconciliation and other peace processes on the continent, including through co-deployment with seasoned mediators, aimed at mentoring the youth and leveraging on the youth access and their role as co-creators of sustainable peace and conflict resolution efforts;

f. The importance of Member States and RECs/RMs to facilitate sports and cultural activities amongst the youth of the continent to foster cohesive societies and bridge the divides;

g. The need for the AU Commission to institutionalise the inclusion of the youth, particularly the AYAPs and WiseYouth Network, in preventive diplomacy missions and AU Election Observer Missions;

h. The imperative for collective redoubled efforts in building intergovernmental and multilateral partnerships aimed at providing a platform to the youth to spearhead the YPS agenda;

i. The need to establish an alumni platform for the AYAPs in order for the Continent to continue engaging the AYAPs from the First Cohort on the YPS agenda, including mentoring the newly appointed AYAPs and sharing experiences and best practices.

9. While noting that 2024 will mark the mid-term review of the 10-Year Implementation of the CFYPS, requests the Commission, in collaboration with youth experts, to undertake a comprehensive review and looks forward to receiving a detailed report on the progress made in the implementation of the CFYPS, the identification of existing gaps and challenges, and concrete recommendations on possible areas for improvement;

10. Calls on all AU Member States and RECs/RMs to celebrate Africa Youth Month, every November of each year, to reflect and act on commitments towards young people as highlighted in the African Youth Charter and the AU Agenda 2063; and urges Member States and RECs/RMs to implement the African Charter on Children and the aspirations enshrined in Agenda 2040 aimed at fostering an Africa fit for children, as well as the Bujumbura Declaration of April 2022;

11. Expresses appreciation to the development partners for their continued support to the African youth, as well as to the implementation of the YPS agenda and the CFYPS, and requests the AU Commission to ensure synergy of efforts with the development partners for a more substantial impact;

12. Requests the AU Commission to ensure the participation of youth in the upcoming Summit on Counterterrorism  scheduled to take place in Abuja, Nigeria, in April 2024, and facilitate discussions on the exploitation of youth by armed groups and terrorist groups in order to strategise on possible ways and means of mitigating youth exploitation;

13. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.

COMMENTS