Activating Africa’s national youth policies for successful PCRD

The document argues that the African Union's PCRD framework is essential for youth-focused peacebuilding, but its success depends on prioritising socio-economic and political opportunities for young people. It highlights that the absence of inclusive youth policies increases the risk of returning to violence. While some states like Côte d'Ivoire have established dedicated youth ministries to foster policy development, others like Libya and the Central African Republic struggle with implementation due to fragile governance and recurring conflict. The brief recommends that the AU and member states prioritise early youth policy development, create dedicated youth ministries, and ensure all policies are accompanied by monitorable action plans.

• The African Union's (AU) PCRD framework serves as a fundamental anchor for youth-focused peacebuilding policies across Africa, and its success depends on the prioritisation of political and socio-economic opportunities for the youth population.
• There is a heightened risk that violence will resume in post-conflict countries if inclusive, youth-centric policies and frameworks are not established during the transition to peace.
• National youth policies in post-conflict states often fail due to broad goals, generalised implementation methods, and a lack of continuity caused by frequent leadership changes and government restructuring.
• The establishment of a dedicated youth ministry or department is a key factor in creating an environment conducive to the development of national youth policies, as seen in the case of Côte d’Ivoire.
• In the Central African Republic, a 2009 National Policy for the Advancement of Central African Youth was never implemented due to the 2012 resurgence of conflict, leaving youth marginalised in governance and peace processes despite comprising 75% of the population under 35.
• Libya lacks a functioning youth strategy or policy, and attempts to create a national action plan with the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) failed due to government technical deficits, a harsh socio-economic climate, and frequent violence.
• Liberia has stabilised and re-established its state, but implementation of youth policies remains a challenge, leaving Liberian youth as a potential source of conflict resurgence.
• Effective youth policies in PCRD states must include concrete action plans that can be monitored and evaluated, as many current policies are formalistic and lack systemic approaches to existing problems.

APA

Kujeke, M. (2020). Activating Africa’s national youth policies for successful PCRD. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/pb-141.pdf

Chicago

Kujeke, Muneinazvo. Activating Africa’s national youth policies for successful PCRD. Institute for Security Studies, 2020. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/pb-141.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Kujeke |first1=Muneinazvo |title=Activating Africa’s national youth policies for successful PCRD |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=2020 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/pb-141.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{kujeke2020activating, author = {Kujeke, Muneinazvo}, title = {{Activating Africa’s national youth policies for successful PCRD}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2020}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/pb-141.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }