Baghdad, Iraq, 10 December 2019 – “If young people are considered good enough to fight wars, they certainly deserve the chance to make peace,” said former deputy UN Security General, Jan Eliasson.

For that reason, UNFPA with the Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA), organised, on 5 December, a two-day consultative meeting in Erbil, in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, on UN Security Council Resolution 2250, on Youth, Peace & Security.

The meeting aims to advocate for and work with the Ministry of Youth and Sports in the Federal Government and the Ministry of Youth and Culture in the Kurdistan Region Government towards a new narrative where young people are peace ambassadors, peacebuilders and agents for positive change.

Participants from the youth Directorates across the country discussed the roadmap towards a national strategy on youth, peace and security and the ways to implement the UN Security Council Resolution 2250 in Iraq.

“If we want to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and if we want to build peace, then we have to put young people at the centre; we have to embrace them as equal partners on this journey together”, said Mr Himyar Abdulmoghni, UNFPA Deputy Representative to Iraq.”

“For this reason, UNFPA with the Folke Bernadotte Academy conducted several activities to strengthen young people’s capacities and equip them with the necessary tools to participate in the reconciliation and peacebuilding processes in Iraq. With our partners, we will work with and for young people in Iraq”, he added.

Commenting, the Project Manager for Iraq at Folke Bernadotte Academy, Taleb Sobeh, said: “Young people in Iraq are already leaders and peacebuilders in their communities and in society at large. This workshop will be a unique opportunity to review young people’s crucial contribution to peace and security, and discuss concrete steps different parts of society can take to even further ensure young people’s participation and empowerment as equal partners for inclusive and sustainable peace in Iraq.”

The consultative meeting is followed by a five-day training in partnership with the FBA on inclusive dialogue processes in peacebuilding. The training is part of a three week-programme laid out over seven months (September 2019-March 2020). The first training took place in September where sessions focused on enhancing the knowledge and practical ability of 25 young men and women in the areas of peacebuilding, mindful communication, gender mainstreaming in peacebuilding, conflict analysis; inclusive dialogue, as well as the design and facilitation of dialogue sessions within their communities.

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UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, delivers a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled.

For more information or media inquiries, please contact: Salwa Moussa, Communications Specialist, smoussa@unfpa.org

For more information or media inquiries, please contact: Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA): idpp@fba.se