YOUTH, PEACE AND SECURITY IN AFRICA

This policy brief advocates for the development of youth-led National Action Plans (NAPs) in African Union member states to operationalise the AU Continental Framework on Youth, Peace and Security. It identifies critical gaps in funding and capacity, proposes a four-phase lifecycle for NAP development (consultation, drafting, implementation, and monitoring), and sets targets for 50% of member states to have NAPs by 2029.

• National Action Plans (NAPs) are essential tools for AU member states to achieve the 'Silencing the Guns' goal and to ensure maximum youth inclusion in peace processes. These plans serve as operational documents that provide guidance for state action based on the commitment of local and national actors.
• The AU Continental Framework on YPS provides the normative guidelines for member states and regional mechanisms, focusing on five key priorities: participation, prevention, protection, partnerships and coordination, and disengagement and reintegration.
• Significant gaps hinder the YPS agenda in AU member states, including limited financial and technical resources for youth-led initiatives, weak organisational capacities of youth groups, a lack of trust or space for youth in formal peace processes, and a lack of evidence-based programming.
• The development of NAPs should follow a youth-led lifecycle consisting of four phases: consultation (conducted locally to inform drafting), drafting (engaging the state, civil society, and development partners), implementation (prioritising grassroots impact), and monitoring and evaluation.
• The AU Continental Framework's 10-year implementation plan (2020–2029) sets specific targets for NAP adoption: 25% of AU member states are expected to have developed NAPs by 2024, increasing to 50% by 2029.
• To ensure sustainable YPS success, the brief recommends that AU member states earmark specific funding for YPS initiatives, incorporate the AU Continental Framework into national education curricula, and normalise the representation of youth—particularly young women—in policy-making spaces.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (2020). YOUTH, PEACE AND SECURITY IN AFRICA. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/tfp-pb.pdf

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. YOUTH, PEACE AND SECURITY IN AFRICA. 2020. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/tfp-pb.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=YOUTH, PEACE AND SECURITY IN AFRICA |date=November 2020 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/tfp-pb.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudies2020youth, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{YOUTH, PEACE AND SECURITY IN AFRICA}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2020}, month = nov, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/tfp-pb.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }