Experts meet in Kenya to enhance youth participation in peace, security within IGAD

Nairobi, Aug 14 (IANS) A two-day meeting began in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, with discussions underway to enhance youth participation in peace and security initiatives in the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) region.

Addressing the IGAD Youth Peace and Security Conference on Wednesday, Workneh Gebeyehu, executive secretary of the East African bloc, said the region is home to one of the youngest populations in the world, with youth under the age of 30 making up more than 60 per cent of the overall population.

"While youth are a powerful force for ensuring peace and security in the region, they continue to face complex and interlinked crises that undermine their potential," Gebeyehu said.

He noted that IGAD member states can enhance youth participation in peace and security by implementing policy reforms and providing institutional support to mainstream the role of young people in building community resilience, reports Xinhua news agency.

Abebe Muluneh, director of IGAD Peace and Security Division, urged the region to adopt strategies and policies at the national level that are aligned with the United Nations Security Council Resolution on youth participation in the maintenance of international peace and security.

Muluneh noted that youth leaders can be trained in mediation and conflict management to become agents of violence prevention.

Fatuma Adan, IGAD head of mission to Kenya, observed that the exclusion of youth from formal peace processes, civic dialogue, and governance structures not only threatens democratic progress but also creates fertile ground for radicalisation, violence, and migration.

Adan added that amplification of the voices of youth affected by conflict and displacement, especially in countries such as Sudan, South Sudan, and Somalia, will contribute to peace-building efforts in the region.

--IANS

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