Security Council resolution 2535 (2020) [on youth in conflict prevention and resolution]
Symbol: S/RES/2535 (2020)
Date: 2020-07-14
Status: adopted
Agenda: S/75 [11] YOUTH
S/75 [27] PEACEBUILDING
S/ X Maintenance of international peace and security.
Subjects: YOUTH|WAR PREVENTION|PEACEMAKING|PEACEBUILDING|HUMAN RIGHTS IN ARMED CONFLICTS
Votes in favour: 15
Votes against: 0
Abstentions: 0
Voting record:
country: BELGIUM
vote: yes
country: CHINA
vote: yes
country: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
vote: yes
country: ESTONIA
vote: yes
country: FRANCE
vote: yes
country: GERMANY
vote: yes
country: INDONESIA
vote: yes
country: NIGER
vote: yes
country: RUSSIAN FEDERATION
vote: yes
country: SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES
vote: yes
country: SOUTH AFRICA
vote: yes
country: TUNISIA
vote: yes
country: UNITED KINGDOM
vote: yes
country: UNITED STATES
vote: yes
country: VIET NAM
vote: yes

               United Nations                                                                     S/RES/2535 (2020)
               Security Council                                                 Distr.: General
                                                                                14 July 2020




               Resolution 2535 (2020)
               Adopted by the Security Council at its 8748th meeting, on
               14 July 2020

                    The Security Council,
                    Reaffirming its commitment to the full implementation of resolution 2250
               (2015) and 2419 (2018) and its Presidential Statement of 12 December 2019
               (S/PRST/2019/15),
                    Recalling its resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009),
               1960 (2010), 2106 (2013), 2122 (2013), 2242 (2015), 2467 (2019) and 2493 (2019)
               on Women, Peace and Security and all relevant Statements of its President,
                     Recalling further its resolutions 1265 (1999), 1674 (2006) and 1894 (2009) on
               the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict,
                     Recalling its resolutions 1645 (2005), 2282 (2016) and 2413 (2018) on the
               peacebuilding architecture and the Statements of its President on Post-Conflict
               Peacebuilding S/PRST/2012/29 and S/PRST/2015/2 and on peacebuilding and
               sustaining peace S/PRST/2016/12,
                    Recalling also its resolutions on Countering Terrorism including 2178 (2014),
               2195 (2014), 2354 (2017), 2395 (2017), 2396 (2017), 2462 (2019) and 2482 (2019)
               and the Statement of its President S/PRST/2015/11, S/PRST/2020/5,
                     Reaffirming the importance of promoting the United Nations’ ability to deliver
               on its founding determination to save and support succeeding generations against the
               scourge of war and putting emphasis on preventive diplomacy, mediation and good
               offices, peacekeeping, peacebuilding, and sustaining peace,
                     Reaffirming the important and positive contribution youth can make to the
               efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security, prevention and
               resolution of conflicts and as a key aspect of the sustainability, inclusiveness and
               success of peacekeeping and peace building efforts,
                     Recognizing that today’s generation of youth is the largest the world has ever
               known and that young people often form the majority of the population of countries
               affected by armed conflict,
                     Noting that the term youth is defined in the context of this resolution as persons
               of the age of 18–29 years old, and further noting the variations of definition of the
               term that may exist on the national and international levels, including the definition
               of youth in the General Assembly Resolutions A/RES/50/81 and A/RES/56/117,



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                    Bearing in mind the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations
               and the primary responsibility of the Security Council under the Charter for the
               maintenance of international peace and security,
                    Expressing concern that among civilians, youth account for many of those
               adversely affected by armed conflict, including as refugees and internally displaced
               persons, and that the disruption of youth’s access to quality education and economic
               opportunities has a dramatic impact on durable peace and reconciliation,
                     Recognizing that youth should actively be engaged in shaping lasting peace and
               contributing to justice and reconciliation, and that a large youth population presents
               a unique demographic dividend that can contribute to lasting peace and economic
               prosperity if inclusive policies are in place,
                     Recognizing that the protection of all youth, particularly young women, refugees
               and internally displaced youth in armed conflict and post-conflict and their
               participation in peace processes can significantly contribute to the maintenance and
               promotion of international peace and security, and should be an important component
               of any comprehensive strategy to resolve conflict and build peace,
                     Emphasizing the importance of a comprehensive approach to peacebuilding and
               sustaining peace, particularly through the prevention of conflict and addressing its
               root causes at all stages of conflict,
                     Reaffirming the primary responsibility of national governments and authorities
               in identifying, driving and directing priorities, strategies and activities for
               peacebuilding and sustaining peace and that inclusivity, including by ensuring full,
               effective and meaningful participation of youth without discrimination of any kind,
               such as race, colour, sex, language, disability, religion or belief, political or other
               opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status is key to advancing
               peacebuilding processes and objectives in order to ensure that the needs of all
               segments of society are taken into account,
                     Reiterating the important role youth can play as agents of change in countering
               terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism,
                     Recognizing that core challenges still remain, including structural barriers that
               limit the participation and capacity of young people, especially young women, to
               influence decision making, violations of their human rights, and insufficient
               investment in facilitating inclusion, particularly through quality education,
                     Recognizing the significance of the fifth anniversary of resolution 2250 (2015),
               the twentieth anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000),the review of the United Nations
               peacebuilding architecture, the launch of the Decade of Action and delivery for
               Sustainable Development, the 25th anniversary of the Platform for Action of the
               Fourth World Conference on Women and the seventy fifth anniversary of the United
               Nations, and the 5th anniversary since the adoption of the Sustainable Development
               Goals offering a prime opportunity to highlight the invaluable role of young people
               and to amplify their voices and perspectives in shaping the world and its future,
                     Acknowledging the on-going work of national governments and regional and
               international organisations to engage youth in building and maintaining peace,
                     Recognizing the importance of civil society, including community-based civil
               society, youth, women, peacebuilders, and where relevant the private sector,
               academia, think tanks, media, and cultural, educational, and religious leaders in peace
               building efforts and sustaining peace, including by increasing awareness about threats
               of terrorism and more effectively tackling them,



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                 Taking note with appreciation of the United Nations Youth 2030 Strategy of the
           Secretary-General which provides a road map for the United Nations system,
           including a specific priority on peacebuilding and resilience-building, directly aligned
           with resolutions 2250 (2015) and 2419 (2018),
                 Recognizing the challenges faced by youth, especially by young women, which
           put them at particular risk, including gender inequalities that perpetuate all forms of
           discrimination and violence and emphasizing that advancing gender equality and
           empowerment of women is critical for the full, equal and effective participation of
           women at all stages of peace processes given their vital role in the prevention and
           resolution of conflict and peacebuilding, reaffirming the key role women can play in
           re-establishing the fabric of recovering society and in the development and
           implementation of post-conflict strategies in order to take into account their
           perspectives and needs,
                 Reaffirming the right to education and its contribution to the achievement of
           peace and security and further recognizing that investment in universal, and inclusive
           education and training is an important policy investment that States can make to
           ensure the immediate and long-term development of youth, and reiterating that access
           to inclusive, equitable and quality formal and non-formal education are important
           factors that enable youth to acquire the relevant skills and to build their capacities,
                Taking note of the first report of the Secretary-General of 2 March 2020
           (S/2020/167) and its recommendations, and noting the independent Progress Study
           on Youth, Peace and Security, “The missing peace”,
                 1.   Calls on all relevant actors, to consider ways to increase the inclusive
           representation of youth for the prevention and resolution of conflict, as w ell as in
           peacebuilding, including when negotiating and implementing peace agreements, and
           to ensure the full, effective and meaningful participation of youth, recognizing that
           their marginalization is detrimental to building sustainable peace;
                 2.   Reaffirms states’ obligation to respect, promote and protect human rights
           and fundamental freedoms of all individuals, including youth, and ensure equal access
           to justice and preserve the integrity of rule of law institutions; and to foster an
           enabling and safe environment for youth working on peace and security, including by
           protecting civic and political space and condemning hate speech and incitement to
           violence;
                 3.   Urges all parties to armed conflict to protect civilians, including those who
           are youth, and to comply strictly with their obligations under international law, inter
           alia under the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the Additional Protocols thereto of
           1977;
                 4.   Further urges Member States to protect youth from violence in armed
           conflict, and urges all parties to eliminate all forms of sexual and gender-based
           violence as well as human trafficking;
                 5.   Urges Member States to facilitate an inclusive, safe, enabling and genderresponsive environment in which youth actors, including youth from different
           backgrounds are recognized and provided with adequate support and protection to
           implement violence prevention activities and support social cohesion, and to carry
           out their work independently and without undue interference, including in situations
           of armed conflict, and to investigate thoroughly and impartially threats, harassment,
           and violence against them, to ensure that perpetrators be brought to justice;
                6.  Also calls upon Member States to comply with their respective obligations
           to end impunity and further calls on them to investigate and prosecute those



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               responsible for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and other egregious
               crimes perpetrated against civilians, including youth;
                     7.   Stresses the importance of providing opportunities for young people to
               strengthen resilience against radicalization to violence and terrorist recruitment by
               creating policies for youth, while complying with relevant obligations und er
               international law, in particular international human rights law and international
               humanitarian law as an essential part of successful counter-terrorism efforts;
                     8.   Stresses the importance of creating policies for youth that would positively
               contribute to peacebuilding efforts, including social and economic development,
               supporting projects designed to grow local economies, and provide youth
               employment opportunities and vocational training, fostering their education, and
               promoting youth entrepreneurship and constructive political engagement;
                     9.     Recognizes that digital spaces provide innovative participation
               opportunities for dialogue, accountability and transparency in decision -making,
               including in conflict-affected contexts and that, at the same time, inequalities with
               regards to access to technology remain widespread and Internet and social media can
               be used to spread disinformation and terrorist ideologies and threaten and attack
               young activists and expressing concern over the increased use, in a globalized society,
               by terrorists and their supporters of new information and communication technologies
               for terrorist purposes, and encourages Member States to act cooperatively to prevent
               terrorists from exploiting technology, communications and resources for terrorist acts,
               while respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms and in compliance with
               other obligations under international law;
                     10. Recognizes that young people’s meaningful engagement in humanitarian
               planning and response is essential to improve the effectiveness of humanitarian
               assistance and that young people play a unique role in strengthening the national, local
               and community-based capacities in conflict and post-conflict situations to prepare for
               and respond to increasingly frequent and severe weather events and natural disasters,
               as well as to public health challenges that affect young people’s life and their future,
               including the COVID-19 pandemic, and in this regard, encourages member states to
               support and integrate youth into decision-making processes in these regards;
                     11. Calls on Member States to take appropriate measures to promote the
               physical and psychological recovery and social reintegration of young survivors of
               armed conflict, including those with disabilities, and survivors of sexual violence in
               conflict by providing, amongst others, access to quality education, socio -economic
               support and skills development such as vocational training, to resume social and
               economic life;
                    12. Calls upon Member States to protect educational institutions as spaces free
               from all forms of violence, and to ensure that they are accessible to all youth,
               including marginalized youth, and take steps to address young women’s equal
               enjoyment of their right to education;
                     13. Calls on Member states to take steps to encourage the meaningful
               participation of youth in the reconstruction of areas devastated by conflict, to bring
               help to refugees, internally displaced persons, and war victims and promote peace,
               reconciliation and rehabilitation;
                     14. Encourages Member States, regional and subregional organizations to
               develop and implement policies and programs for youth and to facilitate their
               constructive engagement, including through dedicated local, national and regional
               roadmaps on youth, peace and security, with sufficient resources, through a
               participatory process, in particular with young people and youth organizations and to


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           pursue its implementation, including through the monitoring, evaluation and
           coordination with young people;
                 15. Welcomes the efforts of the Peacebuilding Commission to advance the
           youth, peace and security agenda and its increased engagement in support of young
           peacebuilders and include in its discussions and advice, ways to engage youth
           meaningfully in national, regional and international efforts to build and sustain peace,
           while reaffirming its principle of national ownership and leadership in peacebuilding,
           and encourages the Peacebuilding Commission to continue to support the important
           peacebuilding role that young people play and the participation and views of youthled organization, in planning and stabilization efforts in peacebuilding and sustaining
           peace, and to continue to bring its observations and advice to the attention of the
           Security Council, as appropriate;
                 16. Calls on Member States, regional organizations and the United Nations
           system, including peacekeeping and special political missions, to coordinate and
           increase their engagement in the implementation of resolutions 2250 (2015), 2419
           (2018), and this resolution including through inclusive partnership with young
           people, and to ensure dedicated capacities with regard to youth, peace and security,
           and in this regard encourages the Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth
           to promote coordination and coherence of youth, peace and security activities across
           the UN-system while tracking implementation of this resolution as well as resolutions
           2250 and 2419;
                 17. Encourages Member States to consider increasing, as appropriate, funding
           for the implementation of the youth, peace and security agenda, including accessible
           resourcing for youth-led and youth-focused organizations;
                 18. Expresses its intention, where appropriate, to continue to invite civil
           society including youth-led organizations as well as young peacebuilders to brief the
           Council in country-specific considerations and relevant thematic areas and include
           interactive and inclusive meetings with local youth, youth-led organizations and
           young peacebuilders, in the field during Council missions;
                 19. Recognizes the role of the Secretary General’s Envoy on Youth and her
           Office, and the work of relevant entities of the United Nations, Rapporteurs, Special
           Envoys, Representatives of the Secretary-General, and Resident Coordinators in the
           implementation of the youth, peace and security agenda, in line with the five pillars
           outlined by resolution 2250, which are participation, protection, prevention,
           disengagement and reintegration, and partnerships, including by ensuring that the
           essential role of young people in advancing peace and security is fully recognized and
           supported and encourages them to continue improving their coordination and
           interaction regarding the role and the needs of youth during armed conflicts and post -
           conflict situations, including with regional organizations;
                 20. Requests the Secretary-General and his Special Envoys to include the
           views of youth in relevant discussions pertinent to the maintenance of peace and
           security, peacebuilding and sustaining peace, and to facilitate the full, effective and
           meaningful participation of youth at all decision-making levels, paying particular
           attention to the inclusion of young women and without distinction or discrimination
           of any kind;
                21. Requests the Secretary General to provide guidance for all peacekeeping
           and other relevant United Nations missions on the implementation of the youth, peace
           and security agenda and urges all peacekeeping and other relevant United Nations
           missions to develop and implement context-specific strategies on youth, peace and
           security, bearing in mind their respective mandates;



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                    22. Requests the Secretary-General to develop a dedicated guidance on the
               protection of young people, including those who engage with the United Nations in
               the context of peace and security and as part of the new Common Agenda on
               Protection for the UN System;
                     23. Encourages the Secretary-General and relevant United Nations Entities,
               to develop internal mechanisms within the United Nations system to broaden the
               participation of youth, within the work of the United Nations and to redouble their
               efforts to improve capacity building and technical guidance and to integrate the youth,
               peace and security agenda in United Nations strategic and planning documents,
               conflict analyses, frameworks, initiatives and guidance tools, at the global, regional
               and national levels, including by appointing youth focal points, building on existing
               human resources, for the implementation of the youth, peace and security agenda
               within their respective mandates;
                     24. Requests the Secretary-General to include information and related
               recommendations on issues of relevance to young people, in the context of armed
               conflict, including on progress made towards participation of youth in peace processes,
               in thematic and geographic reports and regular briefings to the Council, as well as to
               include pertinent disaggregated data related to youth within existing mandates;
                     25. Requests the Secretary-General to ensure that, within existing resources,
               capacities and expertise to engage young people and youth organizations in
               peacebuilding and sustaining peace at the local, national, regional and international
               levels and programmatic activities are in place for the accelerated implementation of
               the youth, peace and security agenda;
                   26. Requests the Secretary-General to submit a biennial report to the Security
               Council on the implementation of this resolution and of resolutions 2250 and 2419;
                    27.   Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.




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