The role of youth in contributing to peace and security ranked high on the agenda during the OSCE Ministerial Council in Milan

The contribution of young women and men to all three dimensions of the OSCE’s peace and security agenda – politico-military, economic and environmental and human– was the topic of an interactive side event on 7 December 2018 during the 25^th OSCE Ministerial Council in Milan, organized by the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office (CiO)’s Special Representatives on Youth and Security together with Spain. Later that day the Ministerial Council adopted Declaration MC.DD/17/18 on the Role of Youth in Contributing to Peace and Security Efforts.

Opening the side event, Italian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Guglielmo Picchi emphasized that the Italian OSCE Chairmanship had worked consciously to mainstream youth in all of its activities in the course of the year, an approach which had proven to be more effective than holding a few single youth-focused events. Two Chairmanship-supported initiatives highlighted by Picchi were the OSCE GEMS Award for innovative green and social enterprises in the OSCE’s Mediterranean partner countries, and the YDEAS scholarship for young entrepreneurs from the Western Balkans.

Winners of the two awards engaged in the side event’s interactive debates. Together with young participants of OSCE youth networks and activities, Youth Focal Points from across the OSCE’s executive structures, experts, delegates and high-level governmental representatives, they discussed and formulated recommendations for further action to make the voice of young people heard in the OSCE.

The CiO’s Special Representatives on Youth and Security, Anna-Katharina Deininger, Matteo Pugliese, Riccardo Pozzi and Samuel Goda, agreed that young women and men can play a decisive role in contributing to a culture of peace, dialogue, justice and peaceful coexistence, trust and reconciliation. This potential must be tapped in order to reach comprehensive security, they said.

Josep Borrell Fontelles, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain, recalled the recommendations stemming from the 2017 OSCE Youth Forum in Malaga: “Young women and men should take a leading role in politics and in the public debate to shape society.”

OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger said: “Further integrating youth perspectives in all three dimensions of security is one of the priorities to make the OSCE fit for purpose. Although many steps have been taken in the right direction this year, increased political support is essential to ensure progress in engaging youth in our work.”

Closing the event, Lukáš Parízek, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia, outlined the approach which the incoming Slovak Chairmanship intends to follow in 2019: “We see youth as an important partner, not only for the future, but also in the present. Together with the OSCE executive structures, we will support activities to promote the participation of young people in security debates.”

The Declaration on the Role of Youth in Contributing to Peace and Security Efforts adopted by the 57 participating States in Milan sets out steps to guide the OSCE’s efforts to integrate youth into its agenda. It acknowledges that youth are an important part of society and the role that they can play in supporting participating States in the implementation of commitments in all three dimensions. It also takes note of the two United Nations Security Council Resolutions on youth, peace and security, Resolution 2250 (2015) and Resolution 2419 (2018). The Declaration follows 50 ministerial-level decisions and declarations referring to youth and education adopted since the contribution of youth was first recognized in the Helsinki Final Act of 1975.

More information;

www.osce.org/youth

Re-watch the side event: www.facebook.com/OSCEyouthSR