10 Years UN Resolution 2250: the Youth, Peace, and Security Agenda

Ten years ago, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2250 on the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agenda, which recognizes the important role of young people in peace processes and in building sustainable security. The Center for International Peace Operations (ZIF) is marking this anniversary with a training course and a conference that underscore the continued importance of the YPS agenda for international peace work and crisis management.

YPS Training 2025: Skills for implementing the agenda

The course “Youth, Peace and Security in Peace Operations and Peacebuilding” took place over a period of four weeks in October this year. The aim of the training was to provide experts from peace missions and international organizations with practical knowledge on integrating the YPS agenda. Over four online sessions, participants engaged intensively with issues relating to the meaningful participation of young people in peace processes and learned how to conduct youth-sensitive conflict analysis and implement the agenda in practice.

A central theme of the course was “Meaningful Participation,” i.e., the question of how young people can be integrated into peace processes without being reduced to superficial or symbolic participation. In collaboration with the United Network of Young Peacebuilders, concrete approaches and best practices for promoting the active, equal participation of young people were developed. Another important aspect was youth-sensitive conflict analysis, which enables international actors to understand the specific needs and perspectives of young people in crisis regions.

Challenges and promising approaches

The course also highlighted the challenges of implementing the YPS agenda at the mission level. The lack of clear mandates and the lack of knowledge about the agenda among many professionals remain a major obstacle. Particular emphasis was placed on the need to integrate youth sensitivity not only into specific projects, but also to anchor it as a fundamental principle in all decision-making processes of peace missions. Networks such as the Focal Point Network play a key role in enabling broader implementation of the agenda.

ZIF at the EU YPS Conference

As an active member of the EU YPS Coalition, ZIF remains committed to the further development and implementation of the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda. From November 11 to 14, 2025, a week-long conference marking the tenth anniversary of the YPS Agenda will take place in Brussels. Together with partners from Sweden and Finland, ZIF is organizing a side event that will focus on the role of young people in the EU's Common Security and Defense Policy.

ZIF's contribution to youth, peace, and security

For many years, ZIF has been committed to greater involvement of young people in international peace processes. With its practice-oriented training programs, the center promotes dialogue between international actors and young peacemakers, thereby contributing to the implementation of the YPS agenda.