ECOWAS, AU Rally Youths For Lasting Peace In West Africa
Young people across West Africa are being positioned as key partners in preventing violence and building lasting peace, as regional and continental bodies move to strengthen youth participation in security and conflict prevention.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union Commission (AUC) and the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) convened a two-day regional consultation in Accra, Ghana, from 26 to 27 October to assess progress in implementing the Continental Framework on Youth, Peace and Security (CFYPS).
The meeting aimed to review implementation at the continental, regional, and national levels; identify gaps and challenges; document successful practices; and develop evidence-based recommendations to strengthen the youth, peace and security agenda through 2029 and beyond.
The consultation was convened by the ECOWAS Commission’s Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security, in collaboration with the AUC and WANEP.
It received technical and financial support from Germany, the European Union and Denmark through two projects implemented by the German development agency, GIZ: Support to the African Union for Promoting Peace, Security and Governance in Africa (AUPSG) and EU Support to ECOWAS in Peace, Security and Governance (EPSG).
The discussions underscored the need to move beyond viewing young people solely as victims of conflict to recognising them as active contributors to peacebuilding, violence prevention and community resilience.
ECOWAS and its partners are seeking to strengthen policies and programmes that enable young people to participate meaningfully in decisions affecting peace and security across West Africa and the wider African continent.
The recommendations from the consultation are expected to help address implementation gaps and reinforce youth-led initiatives capable of preventing violence and sustaining peace.
The engagement reflects a broader push to ensure that young people have a meaningful role in shaping security responses, rather than being left to bear the consequences of conflict.
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