Security Council resolution 2250 (2015) [on youth, peace and security]
Symbol: S/RES/2250 (2015)
Date: 2015-12-09
Status: adopted
Agenda: S/70 [11] YOUTH
S/70 [10] INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
Subjects: YOUTH|PEACEBUILDING|HUMAN RIGHTS IN ARMED CONFLICTS|EDUCATION FOR PEACE|TOLERANCE|PARTNERSHIP|REINTEGRATION
Votes in favour: 15
Votes against: 0
Abstentions: 0
Voting record:
country: ANGOLA
vote: yes
country: CHAD
vote: yes
country: CHILE
vote: yes
country: CHINA
vote: yes
country: FRANCE
vote: yes
country: JORDAN
vote: yes
country: LITHUANIA
vote: yes
country: MALAYSIA
vote: yes
country: NEW ZEALAND
vote: yes
country: NIGERIA
vote: yes
country: RUSSIAN FEDERATION
vote: yes
country: SPAIN
vote: yes
country: UNITED KINGDOM
vote: yes
country: UNITED STATES
vote: yes
country: VENEZUELA (BOLIVARIAN REPUBLIC OF)
vote: yes

                United Nations                                                                 S/RES/2250 (2015)*
                Security Council                                                Distr.: General
                                                                                9 December 2015




                Resolution 2250 (2015)
                Adopted by the Security Council at its 7573rd meeting, on
                9 December 2015

                     The Security Council,
                     Recalling its resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008), 1889 (2009), 1960 (2010),
                2106 (2013), 2122 (2013) and 2242 (2015) on Women, Peace and Security and all
                relevant statements of its President, its resolutions on Countering Terrorism 2178
                (2014) and 2195 (2014) and the Statement of its President S/PRST/2015/11, and the
                Statements of its President on Post-Conflict Peacebuilding S/PRST/2012/29 and
                S/PRST/2015/2,
                      Recalling its resolutions 1265 (1999) and 1894 (2009) on the Protection of
                Civilians in Armed Conflict,
                     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,
                      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,
                      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,
                     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 education and economic
                opportunities has a dramatic impact on durable peace and reconc iliation,
                     Recognizing the important and positive contribution of youth in efforts for the
                maintenance and promotion of peace and security,
                      Affirming the important role youth can play in the prevention and resolution of
                conflicts and as a key aspect of the sustainability, inclusiveness and success of
                peacekeeping and peacebuilding efforts,

           * Reissued for technical reasons on 5 January 2016.

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                    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 rise of radicalization to violence and violent extremism,
               especially among youth, threatens stability and development, and can often derail
               peacebuilding efforts and foment conflict, and stressing the importance of
               addressing conditions and factors leading to the rise of radicalization to violence
               and violent extremism among youth, which can be conducive to terrorism,
                     Expressing concern over the increased use, in a globalized society, by
               terrorists and their supporters of new information and communication te chnologies,
               in particular the Internet, for the purposes of recruitment and incitement of youth to
               commit terrorist acts, as well as for the financing, planning and preparation of their
               activities, and underlining the need for Member States to act cooperat ively to
               prevent terrorists from exploiting technology, communications and resources to
               incite support for terrorist acts, while respecting human rights and fundamental
               freedoms and in compliance with other obligations under international law,
                     Noting the important role youth can play further as positive role models in
               preventing and countering violent extremism, which can be conducive to terrorism,
               and fuels conflict, inhibits socioeconomic development and fosters regional and
               international insecurity,
                     Noting that the Secretary-General is finalizing a Plan of Action to Prevent
               Violent Extremism to integrate youth’s participation, leadership and empowerment
               as core to the United Nations strategy and responses,
                     Noting the World Programme of Action for Youth, the Guiding Principles on
               Young People’s Participation in Peacebuilding, the August 2015 Global Forum on
               Youth, Peace and Security, the Amman Declaration on Youth, Peace and Security,
               the September 2015 Global Youth Summit against Violent Extremism and t he
               Action Agenda to Prevent Violent Extremism and Promote Peace, and
               acknowledging their role in creating a foundation that promotes young people ’s
               inclusive participation and positive contribution to building peace in conflict and
               post-conflict situations,
                     Acknowledging the on-going work of national governments and regional and
               international organisations to engage youth in building and maintaining peace,
                     Encouraging Member States to consider developing a UN common approach
               to inclusive development as a key for preventing conflict and enabling long-term
               stability and sustainable peace, and highlighting in this regard the importance of
               identifying and addressing social, economic, political, cultural and religious
               exclusion, intolerance, as well as violent extremism, which can be conducive to
               terrorism, as drivers of conflict,
                     Recognizing that the protection of youth during conflict and post -conflict and
               their participation in peace processes can significantly contribute to the maintenance
               and promotion of international peace and security, and being convinced that the
               protection of civilians, including youth, in armed conflict should be an important
               aspect of any comprehensive strategy to resolve conflict and build peace,




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                Noting relevant provisions of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal
           Court,

           Participation
                 1.    Urges Member States to consider ways to increase inclusive
           representation of youth in decision-making at all levels in local, national, regional
           and international institutions and mechanisms for the prevention and resolution of
           conflict, including institutions and mechanisms to counter violent extremism, which
           can be conducive to terrorism, and, as appropriate, to consider establishing
           integrated mechanisms for meaningful participation o f youth in peace processes and
           dispute-resolution;
                 2.    Calls on all relevant actors, including when negotiating and
           implementing peace agreements, to take into account, as appropriate, the
           participation and views of youth, recognising that their marginalis ation is
           detrimental to building sustainable peace in all societies, including, inter alia, such
           specific aspects as:
                (a) The needs of youth during repatriation and resettlement and for
           rehabilitation, reintegration and post-conflict reconstruction;
                (b) Measures that support local youth peace initiatives and indigenous
           processes for conflict resolution, and that involve youth in the implementation
           mechanisms of peace agreements;
                (c)     Measures to empower youth in peacebuilding and conflict resolution;
                 3.   Stresses the importance of Security Council missions taking into account
           youth-related considerations including, as appropriate, through consultation with
           local and international youth groups;

           Protection
                 4.    Calls upon all parties to armed conflict to comply strictly with the
           obligations applicable to them under international law relevant to the protection of
           civilians, including those who are youth, including the obligations applicable to
           them under the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the Additional Pro tocols thereto of
           1977;
                 5.   Further calls upon states to comply with the obligations applicable to
           them under the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugee and the Protocol
           thereto of 1967, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
           against Women of 1979 and the Optional Protocol thereto of 1999 and the
           Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities;
                 6.    Further calls upon Member States to comply with their respective
           obligations to end impunity and further calls on them to investigate and prosecute
           those responsible for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and other
           egregious crimes perpetrated against civilians, including youth, noting that the fight
           against impunity for the most serious crimes of international concern has been
           strengthened through the work on and prosecution of these crimes by the
           International Criminal Court, ad hoc and mixed tribunals and specialized chambers
           in national tribunals;




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                    7.    Calls on all parties to armed conflict to take the necessary measures to
               protect civilians, including those who are youth, from all forms of sexual and
               gender-based violence;
                     8.   Reaffirms that states must respect and ensure the human rights of all
               individuals, including youth, within their territory and subject to their jurisdiction as
               provided for by relevant international law and reaffirms that each state bears the
               primary responsibility to protect its populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic
               cleansing, and crimes against humanity;
                     9.    Urges Member States to consider specific measures, in conformity with
               international law, that ensure, during armed conflict and post conflict, the protection
               of civilians, including youth;

               Prevention
                     10. Urges Members States to facilitate an inclusive and enabling
               environment in which youth actors, including youth from different backgrounds, are
               recognised and provided with adequate support to implement violence prevention
               activities and support social cohesion;
                     11. 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;
                    12. Urges Member States to support, as appropriate, quality education for
               peace that equips youth with the ability to engage constructively in civic structures
               and inclusive political processes;
                    13. Calls on all relevant actors to consider instituting mechanisms to
               promote a culture of peace, tolerance, intercultural and interreligious dialogue that
               involve youth and discourage their participation in acts of violence, terrorism,
               xenophobia, and all forms of discrimination;

               Partnerships
                     14. Urges Member States to increase, as appropriate, their political,
               financial, technical and logistical support, that take account of the needs and
               participation of youth in peace efforts, in conflict and post -conflict situations,
               including those undertaken by relevant entities, funds and programmes, inter alia,
               the United Nations Peacebuilding Support Office, United Nations Peacebuilding
               fund, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Population Fund,
               UN-Women, and by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for
               Refugees, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights,
               the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and other relevant bodies, and actors
               at regional and international levels;
                    15. Stresses the vital role the Peacebuilding Commission in addressing the
               conditions and factors leading to the rise of radicalization to violence and violent
               extremism among youth, which can be conducive to terrorism, by including in its
               advice and recommendations for peace building strategies ways to engage youth
               meaningfully during and in the aftermath of armed conflict;



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                 16. Encourages Member States to engage relevant local communities and
           non-governmental actors in developing strategies to counter the viol ent extremist
           narrative that can incite terrorist acts, address the conditions conducive to the spread
           of violent extremism, which can be conducive to terrorism, including by
           empowering youth, families, women, religious, cultural and education leaders, and
           all other concerned groups of civil society and adopt tailored approaches to
           countering recruitment to this kind of violent extremism and promoting social
           inclusion and cohesion;

           Disengagement & reintegration
                 17. Encourages all those involved in the planning for disarmament,
           demobilization and reintegration to consider the needs of youth affected by armed
           conflict, including, inter alia, such specific aspects as:
                 (a) evidence-based and gender-sensitive youth employment opportunities,
           inclusive labour policies, national youth employment action plans in partnership
           with the private sector, developed in partnership with youth and recognising the
           interrelated role of education, employment and training in preventing the
           marginalisation of youth;
                (b) investment in building young persons’ capabilities and skills to meet
           labour demands through relevant education opportunities designed in a manner
           which promotes a culture of peace;
                (c) support for youth-led and peacebuilding organisations as partners in
           youth employment and entrepreneurship programs;
                18. Notes its readiness, whenever measures are adopted under Article 41 of
           the Charter of the United Nations, to consider their potential impact on the
           population, including youth;

           Next steps
                 19. Invites relevant entities of the United Nations, Rapporteurs and Special
           Envoys and Representatives of the Secretary-General, including the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth and the Special Envoy for Youth Refugees, to improve
           the coordination and interaction regarding the needs of youth during armed conflicts
           and post-conflict situations;
                 20. Requests the Secretary-General to carry out a progress study on the
           youth’s positive contribution to peace processes and conflict resolution, in o rder to
           recommend effective responses at local, national, regional and international levels,
           and further requests the Secretary-General to make the results of this study available
           to the Security Council and all Member States of the United Nations;
                21. Also requests the Secretary-General to include in his reports in the
           context of situations that are on the agenda of the Council the measures taken in the
           implementation of this resolution, including information on youth in situations of
           armed conflict and the existence of measures relating to the prevention,
           partnerships, participation, protection, disengagement and reintegration of youth
           under this resolution;
                22.     Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.




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