UNFPA Jordan has worked with several stakeholders throughout the years to ensure the implementation of the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda across the governorates in Jordan.
By: Farhasaad Shahid
In December 2015, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2250 on youth, peace and security (YPS). This landmark resolution recognises the positive role youth play in building sustainable peace, and the need for governments and other stakeholders to support the participation of young people in conflict transformation, peacebuilding, and countering violence.
The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has demonstrated consistent leadership in championing and advancing the YPS agenda globally. In Jordan, the creation of the Jordan 2250 Coalition was among the first official national multi-stakeholder coalitions in support of 2250 in the world.
UNFPA Jordan has been instrumental in shaping the YPS agenda and possesses on-the-ground presence to expedite the YPS agenda's implementation. As co-chair of the Coalition Secretariat until 2022, UNFPA Jordan has been involved in multiple projects and initiatives, in partnership with government, youth members of the YPS 2250 Coalition, Embassies, and UN agencies, to advance the YPS Agenda in Jordan. The Coalition, whose decision-makers are young people, operates in a unique structure that involves collaboration with various organizations and the Ministry of Youth. Together, they are working towards translating the UNSCR 2250 into tangible actions that address the needs of young people in Jordan, while emphasizing the significance of youth-driven solutions to youth-related challenges.
The Coalition completed several successful activities such as annual Peace Week events, a comprehensive mapping of the Coalition-led YPS initiatives in Jordan, which includes all actors involved in YPS work, their activities, challenges, and future aspirations. Another innovative activity included the YPS Coffee Break sessions which were monthly discussions with experts with the aim to highlight and discuss youth engagement under the YPS agenda with a focus on the COVID-19 pandemic, the linkages with the Women, Peace and Security agenda (WPS), and to provide a platform for young people to engage with experts and peace-builders with a specific focus on the Jordanian context.
Check out our YPS Coffee Break sessions
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“Global perspectives on the Youth Peace and Security Agenda and the Compact for Young People in Humanitarian Action in light of COVID-19 and the Jordan context” |
“Interlinkages between the UNSCR1325 and the UNSCR2250 and what YPS Actors can learn from the WPS journey in Jordan” |
UNFPA and Generations for Peace
In the three years of partnership, UNFPA together with Generations for Peace worked together to ensure the implementation of the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda across the governorates in Jordan. The partnership has resulted in various different materials and tools to facilitate the long-term space for the YPS work. UNFPA and GFP developed a ‘Advocacy for Peace’ module that serves as a national resource and facilitates training on UNSCR 2250, as well as a YPS toolkit which is a great resource for facilitators and educators who want to learn and build capacity about the YPS with the Jordanian context.
In 2022, the partnership focused on enhancing youth leadership on YPS through enriching youth capacity and confidence in implementing advocacy events and community initiatives that address local YPS needs in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth. The main activity for the year focused on the Advocacy for Peace training where young people and government officials were trained on various leadership and advocacy approaches to promote civic engagement and empower youth to raise awareness and address problems in their communities. This training was then further expanded to broader groups of young people in governorates across Jordan that reached 125 youth in five MOY youth centers across the governorates.
Through these trainings, youth were asked to plan a local advocacy event in their area to propose solutions to local authorities about the issues young people face in each governorate.
One of the initiatives from Amman resulted in a media platform for podcasts and videos by youth members to host other youth members of the community together with key decision makers. This platform intends to address current youth challenges, discuss potential solutions, promote success stories of youth initiatives and work in line with the YPS agenda. Find the link to the Podcast 2250 here.
Other advocacy events, such as in Balqa, focused on the issue of youth civic participation, how to provide equal access to opportunities, and the activation of meaningful collaboration amongst civil society groups in Al’an as a model for other areas in al Balqaa. In Jerash, the event addressed the most pressing issues such as high unemployment, a weak labor market, a lack of youth participation, and economic marginalization.
Solutions and initiatives from young people ranged from sending recommendation papers to local authorities, convening discussion panels with stakeholders, field visits for policy-makers and raising awareness through creating their own content.
This collaboration with Generations for Peace served as a meaningful pathway for implementation of the YPS Agenda in Jordan, where the aim is for the trained youth to be able to spread the will-power for youth to take action on matters on their own and ensure meaningful participation.
YPS Agenda in Jordan - The Way Forward
UNFPA along with several other stakeholders in the country are in the process of creating the first National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security, the JONAP 2250. The members that are currently part of the Technical Working Group for the JONAP are working closely with the Ministry of Youth, who have accepted and ratified the proposed Roadmap for the JONAP as drafted by Jordan’s civil society and UN organizations. As part of the process, a comprehensive consultation process will take place with young people where they can directly have a say regarding their needs and impact.
In order to fulfill its commitment to the YPS Agenda, UNFPA assisted the MOY in setting up the YPS Unit and provided staffing support to ensure that the implementation of YPS in Jordan is carried out effectively. Promising steps are to be seen when all actors work together for the implementation of youth inclusive peacebuilding.
Useful resources to guide implementation of the YPS Agenda in Jordan: (click images to download)
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The YPS Toolkit is a useful resource which aims to raise and build youth capacities in UNSCR 2250 resolution and issues related to youth, peace, and security by providing a high-quality, skills-based curriculum.
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YPS in Jordan - Fact sheet:
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YPS in Action:
This video explains the work Generations for Peace carried out with youth leaders to advance the YPS agenda in their governorates. The video highlights the different initiatives youth initiated to enhance youth participation within their communities.
Gallery of Images from the Advocacy for Peace Trainings:
