New York: Europe and the Arabs

The United Nations has always been at the forefront of efforts to involve young people in decision-making. The past decade has seen significant progress in this area, thanks to the adoption of the UN Security Council resolution on Youth, Peace and Security, which has led to widespread changes in how young people's voices are heard and how they are integrated into peace plans and policies. This was reported in the UN Daily News, a copy of which we received on Thursday morning.

Among these young people who have made a difference is Nila Ibrahimi, an Afghan woman who fled Afghanistan with her family in 2021 after the Taliban took control of the country. A prominent human rights activist since the age of 13, when she led a widespread campaign that successfully overturned a government ban preventing Afghan girls over the age of 12 from singing in public, she realized she was at risk of being targeted by the new regime.

After spending some time in hiding, she now lives in Canada, but she hasn't given up her activism. From her new home, she founded "Her Story," an organization dedicated to documenting the experiences of girls inside Afghanistan and in the diaspora.

“I do my best to tell the stories of girls who have been prevented from going to school,” Ibrahimi told UN News. “I managed to graduate, but my friends are still stuck in ninth grade. It’s very emotional work, but I think if it motivates even one person to do something, then I think I’ve done enough.” A chance to speak out and learn. Ibrahimi was speaking to us at an event held on December 15 to mark the 10th anniversary of Security Council Resolution 2250 (2015), which formally recognizes young people as active partners in maintaining and promoting international peace and security. Young people under the age of 30 make up nearly half the world’s population, making them the generation most invested in our shared future. Yet they are often excluded from the places where solutions to our most complex problems are being formulated. Since the adoption of the resolution, the UN has supported a range of initiatives implementing its recommendations. For example, the Democratic Republic of Congo, The Gambia, and Honduras have developed national and local action plans for youth, peace, and security; and the African Union held its first dialogue on youth, peace, and security. At the continental level, the focus was on youth, peace, and security, culminating in the Bujumbura Declaration. Eleven countries, spanning Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Europe, have so far adopted action plans on youth, peace, and security aligned with Resolution 2250. Afghanistan, still under Taliban rule, is not among them. Nevertheless, Ibrahimi, who has often felt she was fighting a lone battle, remains steadfast and determined to continue the fight for women's rights.

She said, "What really struck me at the conference was being in the same room with people I would never have had the chance to meet and learn about how they are implementing strategies to empower young people in their countries." Just being with them was a privilege and a great opportunity not only to share my story and amplify the voice of Afghan women, but also to learn from others.” The events, held mid-month, culminated in a peace circle featuring Ibrahimi, several other young leaders, senior UN officials, diplomats, and academics. The peace circles stem from a major UN initiative, part of the flagship “Act Now for Peace” campaign. They are informal dialogues on peace-related topics, ranging from broad subjects like education and gender equality to climate and technology. At least half of the participants must be under 30, with a focus on young people who are often underrepresented in these forums and new to the UN space. The “Act Now for Peace” campaign runs until September 2026, and the discussions held in the peace circles will be used directly in several UN projects, including the UN Secretary-General’s Independent Study on the Contributions of Young People to Peace and a Global Youth Declaration for Peace.