Assessing Implementation of UNSCR 2250 on Youth Peace and Security Agenda in Cameroon

Date: 07 February 2024 – 3:00PM
Venue: Online – Zoom Platform (Register Here)

Background

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC), in 2015, adopted the Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security which states the importance of youth participation in peace building and their role in preventing and countering violence and violent extremism in the world. The Youth Peace and Security Agenda (YPS) is an international framework designed to include youth in efforts to prevent and resolve conflict, and build peace. This agenda has been widely adopted at diverse levels: globally, regionally, nationally, and institutionally. Over the past eight years, the YPS agenda has inspired regional frameworks like the African Union Continental Framework on Youth, Peace and Security and its 10-year implementation plan, which is a guiding document for YPS intervention in Africa today. After Nigeria which became the 1^st country in Africa to adopt a National Action Plan (NAP) currently being implemented, many countries are aiming to do same despite complexities involved in recognizing and nationalizing the YPS Agenda. Cameroon for example, which is grappling with the Anglophone crisis, the Boko Haram insurgency and inter-communal conflicts is currently among the few countries in multiple stakeholder consultations geared towards developing National Action Plans for the implementation of the YPS agenda. As a critical country in the Central African Region with a potential of influencing regional dynamics, the adoption and implementation of a NAP on the YPS Agenda will be a bedrock for inclusion of youths in relevant conversations and activism towards sustainable peace and security. On this note, the Peace and Security Division of the Nkafu Policy Institute is organising a webinar to engage thought-provoking discussions with experts in the field, to assess the implementation of the YPS Agenda in Cameroon and to identify gaps, successes, and opportunities for further implementation.

Objective of the webinar

This webinar will serve as platform to strengthen ongoing efforts to nationalize the YPS agenda in Cameroon. Specifically, the webinar further aims to;

• Vulgarize the YPS agenda,
• Amplify the voices of key opinion youth and women leaders on the YPS Agenda
• Engage civil society actors to boost awareness of the YPS agenda.
• Take stock of progress made in the implementation of the YPS Agenda in Cameroon,
• Identify successful cases and best practices within the African region worth adopting
• Identify challenges encountered in the implementation procedure and,
• Propose recommendations for enhancing the effectiveness of the YPS agenda in Cameroon.

Target Audience

The event targets CSO/CBO leaders, policymakers, experts from the fields of peace and security, conflict resolution, and state actors.

Event Format

The event will take place online, via zoom with panel discussions by experts and will be streamed live on Foretia Foundation’s social media platforms.

Expected output

It is expected that the webinar will serve as an avenue for deeper understanding of the implementation of the YPS Agenda in Cameroon, awareness on the challenges faced in the implementation process, and recommendations developed for improving the effectiveness of YPS as a critical element for sustainable peacebuilding in Cameroon.

Expected Outcome

• Actionable recommendations proposed to support ongoing efforts and fast-track the development and implementation of a National Action Plan on YPS in Cameroon for the advancement of sustainable peace and development in Cameroon.
• CSOs and CBOs in Cameroon are growing awareness of the YPS agenda and engaging discussions around the agenda at various levels.

Event Date and Time

The event will take place on Wednesday 7^th February, 2024 from 3:00-4:00pm Cameroon Time.

Organisers

This event is organised by the Peace and Security Division of the Nkafu Policy Institute– a think tank at the Denis and Lenora Foretia Foundation.

Contact details

Email: [email protected] / Tel: (+237) 22 31 15 84 / 654 86 72 54

Panelists

• Achaleke Christian Leke
  African Union Youth Ambassador for Peace, Central African Region /Executive Director-LOYOC
• Victorine Lumnuie Ambe
  Founder and Executive Director, Cornerstone Enrichment Services (CES).  She is an accredited member of Fem Wise-Africa, Peace and Security Department (PSD), African Union Commission and an Advocate for the protection and rights of children especially youths under incarceration.
• Mr Mohamed Kunta
  African Union Youth Ambassador for Peace / Western Africa Region