Joint Statement by the co-chairs of the Group of Champions of YPS: Republic of Finland and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
28 May 2024, 10:00am–1:00pm Security Council Chamber, New York Statement by Ambassador Elina Kalkku, Permanent Representative of Finland to the United Nations
Thank you, President.
I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the co-chairs of the Group of Champions of Youth, Peace and Security, Jordan and my own country Finland.
We wish to thank Mozambique for the opportunity to take stock of progress made in implementing Youth, Peace and Security agenda as we near the 10th anniversary of Security Council resolution 2250 in 2025. I would also like to thank all the briefers today.
The Secretary-General´s third report on Youth, Peace and Security confirms that a growing number of member states and international organizations are seeking ways for full, effective and meaningful youth participation in conflict prevention and resolution, peace building and peace processes. At the same time, the report highlights the need for coherent and coordinated efforts in order to root the YPS agenda in peace and security practices and tackle discriminatory practices many among the youth still face.
Jordan and Finland would like to underline that finding constructive ways for youth participation is key in building more resilient, stable and prosperous societies. The participation of the youth is needed to build a better and safer future.
Today, we would like to highlight three areas of importance.
First, to sustain the Youth, Peace and Security agenda at the heart of international peace and security, we strongly encourage the Security Council to double its efforts to listen to young people’s voices and to make the most of their knowledge. We urge the Council to give the Youth, Peace and Security agenda the high political attention it deserves, and to employ a practice of holding annual open debates on the SCR 2250 as recommended in the Secretary General’s report. The role of the Peacebuilding Commission in supporting the role of young people and youth-led organization could be even further enhanced.
We also encourage strengthened coordination of Youth, Peace and Security issues across the United Nations. In this regard, we welcome the establishment of the UN Youth office as the dedicated office for youth affairs.
Second, meaningful youth engagement and participation remains central in achieving the objectives of YPS agenda at all levels. Safe and mutually respectful dialogue, also intergenerationally, helps in creating trust between the youth and the decision-makers.
The responsibility of finding practices for meaningful youth participation lies within the Member States. National Action Plan on the implementation of the YPS agenda of Finland, Jordan´s National Youth Strategy for the years 2019-2025, as well as the regional Arab YPS Strategy launched under the patronage of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan are concrete examples of this work. As co-chairs of the Group of Champions of YPS, Jordan and Finland will also invite Member States to share experiences and good practices in New York.
We have seen within the past years that the YPS agenda resonates strongly nationally, regionally and globally. Several 2250 national and regional Action Plans and strategies are on their way. The upcoming Pact for the Future must reflect this momentum.
Third, investment in youth has huge financial potential. A study conducted in Kenya showed that for every dollar spent on youth, the overall social return was from five to ten dollars. More innovative thinking is needed on how to finance the YPS agenda. Multistakeholder partnerships could provide a sustainable financial basis for local actors, and public-private partnerships could be further explored.
Mr. President, the role of decision-makers is to work not only for the youth, but with them. They do not need our voices to speak on their behalf. They need to get on the stage to speak for themselves. This is all the more important as the Summit for the Future is approaching and the Pact and the Declaration on Future Generations are being prepared.
I thank you.