LocationsThere is a moment—quiet, almost imperceptible—when change begins. Sometimes it starts with a single young person who raises a hand in a crowded room. Sometimes with a question whispered among friends: “Can we make things better?” And sometimes, it begins with a global commitment.
Ten Years of the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda: A Decade of Hope, Action and Young Voices Shaping the Future
December 9, 2025
Ten years ago, the United Nations adopted Resolution 2250, officially launching the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) Agenda. For the first time, the world declared that young people were not merely witnesses to conflict and inequality—they were partners, leaders, peacebuilders, innovators.
Since then, the YPS Agenda has become more than a policy framework. It has become a promise. A promise that young people deserve a seat at the table, not someday, but now. And in a small, diverse, hopeful country like North Macedonia, this promise carries deep meaning.
What Is the YPS Agenda—and why does it matter today?
In a world where nearly half of the population is under 30, young people live at the crossroads of uncertainty and opportunity. They are often the first to feel the consequences of unemployment, inequality, social tensions, and global crises. But they are also the first to imagine alternatives—to build bridges, to heal divides, to innovate solutions no one else has thought of.
Today, this matters more than ever. From polarizing narratives to digital misinformation, from climate threats to economic pressures, young people are navigating challenges that older generations never faced at this scale or speed. And yet, they continue to show extraordinary resilience.
In North Macedonia, the YPS Agenda resonates in a unique way. This is a country where young people have grown up with shifting identities, diverse communities, and a profound understanding of what peaceful coexistence truly means. Many young people express a desire not just to succeed individually, but to contribute to a society that is fair, inclusive and forward-looking.
What has UNDP North Macedonia done to advance the YPS Agenda?
For UNDP North Macedonia, working with young people is not an item on an agenda. It is a long-term commitment since working with youth is an investment. In 2025, our focus is clear: strengthening the YPS Agenda across three pillars—participation, prevention and partnership. But behind these pillars stand real stories. Real young people. Real change.
1) Youth Participation – it is about giving young people a voice
UNDP has undertaken a very strong commitment to support youth participation in various forms. When the Youth National Strategy 2023–2027 was being shaped, more than 1,300 young people across the country raised their voices. Their ideas became national priorities—proof that policy is strongest when built with young people, not for them. Today, UNDP is also supporting the development of the new Action Plan for 2026–2027, continuing the commitment to structured youth participation.
At the local level, we support youth councils, helping build trust between young people and institutions—trust that is essential for peace and social cohesion. Youth led initiatives are being supported in various municipalities putting young people in the center of the decision-making and the implementation. Young people are being consulted for questions related to environment, giving them space to participate in climate change negotiation processes and selection of local projects for air quality.
2) Prevention through empowering young people to build resilient communities
Conflict prevention is not only about responding to crises. It is about strengthening communities before problems arise.
Building mutual trust and understanding among young people is promoted through various artistic forms, from multimedia products, street arts to forum theatres. The video documentary “My streets, your streets, our streets” streamed among young people sparkled a debate on equality and trust. Activities on disaster resilience and ensuring safety of young people in natural hazards resulted with creation of one of the longest mural in North Macedonia. Film debates and forum theatres have proven to be excellent tool for awareness raising on gender based violence among young people.
UNDP also works on conflict prevention through economic empowerment. Because a young person who gains financial independence gains confidence, stability, and hope. The Self-Employment Programme supports youth entrepreneurs, including youth with disabilities. The Youth Guarantee Programme has reached over 11,000 NEET youth, connecting them with jobs and training opportunities. Economic empowerment is not only about employment—it is a strategy for long-term peace.
3) Partnerships - because Peace is a collective effort
UNDP collaborates with Ministries, Municipalities, the UN agencies and international organizations. But the most important partnerships are with young people themselves. Together, we co-create programmes, co-design solutions, and build long-term systems that keep the YPS Agenda alive. A regional training for YPS experts was recently completed, strengthening the capacities of teams that mainstream YPS across different sectors—ensuring that youth peacebuilding becomes integrated, sustainable and widespread.
Looking ahead and what the future brings
If the first decade of YPS was about recognition, the next decade must be about acceleration. Young people are asking not only to be heard, but to be engaged. Not only to be included, but to be empowered.
To honor this, we need to:
- Invest in youth skills, education and leadership. So young people have the tools to prevent conflict, lead dialogue, and innovate solutions.
- Strengthen cooperation with civil society, business, academia and local governments. Because peacebuilding is not the responsibility of one institution—it is a shared mission.
- Create long-term platforms where young people can design the future, not just comment on it. Spaces where ideas are not only discussed but transformed into action.
- Protect young people’s safety—online, offline, environmentally and socially. A peaceful society is one where every young person feels safe to speak, to move, to dream.
Ten years after the YPS Agenda was born, one truth stands out:
Young people are not waiting for permission to lead. They are already doing it.
In classrooms and community centers, in youth councils and civil society groups, in small towns and big cities—young people in North Macedonia are shaping a future built on dialogue, understanding and cooperation.
UNDP stands beside them.
Because peace is not a moment—it is a generation’s work. And this generation is ready.
Authors: Ivana Petrovska, Filip Ivkovski.
