How are United Nations Security Council resolutions 2250 and 2419 on Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) understood and acted on by the UN at the country level? What methods has the UN used to deepen and broaden its engagement with young people in peace and development and what barriers remain? With the UN Secretary-General’s report on YPS being presented to the Security Council in April 2020, it is time to take stock of progress made in realising the meaningful inclusion of young people.
This paper explores how and to what extent the UN promotes and supports the inclusion of youth at the country level, and how the YPS resolutions are operationalised for this purpose. In particular, it looks at different ways in which UN Country Teams advance YPS in Colombia, the Gambia, Jordan and Sri Lanka, as well as related challenges.