By Sulayman Waan
Hon. Hadrammeh Sididbeh, Minister of youth and Sports (MOYS) has said that the National Youth Council (NYC) under his ministry is championing the drive in propagating peace, tolerance and social cohesion.
“NYC continues to take leadership and ownership of the UN Security Council Resolution 2250 on youth, peace and security at local levels,” he said during the opening of a day-long capacity building for staff of MOYS and youth leaders on the UN Security Council Resolutions 2250 and 2419; held at President International Award, funded by UNDP.
On 9 December 2015, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted the Resolution 2250 which recognizes the importance and positive role of young people in the maintenance and promotion of international peace and security.
As a follow-up to this, on 6 June 2018, the Security Council adopted Resolution 2419 calling for increased Role of Youth in Negotiating and Implementing Peace Agreements, and for member states to take measures to remove the causes and prevent the radicalization of young people and invest in the youth.
These resolutions are a message of hope for about 600 million youth living in conflict zones, which have often been categorized as perpetrators of violence or as victims.
He described the training as significant given the situation of youth, peace and security in the country’s new found democracy.
“NYC and its registered National Youth Organizations are also working with UN Agencies to promote youth and children participation in the maintenance of sustainable peace and reconciliation.”
“We placed strong emphasis on the opinion and aspirations of young people on how their rights should be safeguarded in the new constitution,” he said.
In her remarks, Nessie Golakia-Govld, UNDP deputy resident representative said The Gambia is at a critical trajectory of its history, in which the building of peaceful, just and inclusive societies, as articulated in SDG 16 must underpin governance and all the reform processes.
“Young people are the present and future of the country. Their (youth) potential and abilities are key instruments for consolidating the country’s democracy and sustaining its peace and development,” she highlighted.
She stated that developing a common understanding of what the resolutions demand of Member States, will position them (youth) well to lead in developing the road map and the capacities needed for implementing the resolutions in the country.
“If young people are not engaged constructively, they could be manipulated to undermine peace and security, she noted.
With many young people feeling frustrated and vulnerable from unemployment, exclusion in decision-making, deportations and return migration, Gambia cannot afford to leave its young people behind, she said.
Lamin Darboe, Executive for NYC said there is no better time for The Gambia to talk about peace than now, adding that the country cannot sustain democracy without peace.
“ Is important that we are not only expose to domestic laws and regulations or processes and policies regarding young participation in national development including peace building but it is also important to build institutions capacities to know some of the international policies, conventions, resolutions that has to do with young people and peace building,” he stated.