Statement delivered by Italy at the Security Council Meeting in Arria Formula on “Youth, Peace and Security”. —
Thank you Mr. President and I would like to thank South Africa and all the co-hosts for organizing this meeting on the 5th anniversary of Resolution 2250 as well as the Youth Envoy and all the briefers for their insightful remarks and of course to Jordan for their leadership.
Italy firmly believes that young people are a vital driver for peace, change, and prosperity.
We are therefore staunchly committed to the implementation of the YPS Agenda, we have supported from the outset the Youth 2030 Strategy, and we were the first Member State to provide financial support to the Office of the SG’s Envoy on Youth after her appointment.
In our view, youth policies represent the best link between the Peace and Security Agenda and the Agenda 2030.
Empowering young people and enabling them to make their voices heard was always a top priority for Italy.
Every year since 2017, we have been appointing two Youth Delegates who, through a nation-wide advocacy action, and active participation in meetings at the UN, have been helping promote the active participation of the youngest generations in peacebuilding and reconciliation processes. This, in our view, is one good example of how we can best increase youth’s participation.
It is essential to make sure that young people, including young women, have a say in peace discussions, and we should encourage natural synergies between the WPS and the YPS Agendas, as women and youth face similar challenges to their meaningful participation in the decision-making.
Italy cosponsored Res. 2535 last July, funded the UN Desa project “Young People’s Contributions to Sustainable Peace in the Framework of the 2030 Agenda” to promote the integrated implementation of the YPS and 2030 Agendas and we financed the “2020 Turin Forum for Sustaining Peace” that was organized by the UN System Staff College with a focus on the synergies between the YPS and WPS Agendas.
Mr. President, Italy will continue to do its utmost to advance the implementation of the YPS agenda.
I thank you.
