–at 10th anniversary of UNSCR 2250

GUYANA has underscored the importance of youth participation in global peace and security during a high-level event commemorating the 10th anniversary of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250 (UNSCR 2250).
Delivering the statement at the High-Level Stocktaking Event on Youth, Peace, and Security on Monday, Ambassador Trishala Persaud, Deputy Permanent Representative of Guyana to the United Nations, said, “Guyana is pleased to co-sponsor this event which commemorates the 10th anniversary of the resolution 2250.”
She added, “We thank the UN Youth Office, DPPA [UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs] and UNFPA [United Nations Population Fund] for organising today’s event and welcome the valuable opportunity for stocktaking.”
Ambassador Persaud highlighted the historical significance of the resolution, noting that it “was significant in its establishment of the youth peace and security agenda and formal recognition that youth represent a unique demographic that can contribute to the maintenance and promotion of international peace and security.”
She reflected on the evolving perception of young people in global affairs.
“While young people have been contributing to peace and security long before 2015, in the international arena, they were primarily seen as victims and, in some instances, as threats,” she said.
She added that with today’s global youth population being the largest in history, “it is prudent for the international community to empower them to realise their potential to contribute to peace and security and enable their participation in preventing conflict and building peace. There is still much work to be done in this regard.”
Citing the United Nations Secretary-General’s 2024 Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS) report, Ambassador Persaud emphasised the persistent barriers to meaningful youth engagement.
“Youth participation in peace and security remains limited in most spaces on account of lack of trust between governments and youth, ageism, lack of political will and lack of funding,” she noted.
Over the past decade, Ambassador Persaud said, international mechanisms supporting youth engagement have grown, including contributions through the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF), the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), and the establishment of the UN Youth Office.
However, she noted that youth participation “has been less pronounced and considered inconsistently in the Security Council—the UN body with primary responsibility for maintaining global peace and security.”
To address this gap, Guyana, together with Sierra Leone, tabled a resolution aimed at strengthening youth engagement within the council.
“Resolution 2807 was adopted unanimously by the council on Friday,” Ambassador Persaud reported.
While acknowledging that initial objectives were scaled back during negotiations, she said the resolution still introduces “significant measures to advance implementation of the YPS agenda, including the holding of open debates to discuss the YPS reports of the Secretary-General, which previously was largely underutilised, and support for the safe participation of youth briefers in council meetings.”
Ambassador Persaud also described Resolution 2807 as facilitating “in-depth expert-level discussions on YPS in country-specific contexts and encourages continued coordination between the Security Council and the Peacebuilding Commission, and among UN agencies, on YPS as part of a comprehensive approach to peacebuilding and sustaining peace.”
In addition to its substantive provisions, Guyana views the resolution as a symbolic gesture for youth worldwide.
“Guyana views the adoption of the resolution as an important signal to the world’s youth of the council’s recognition and confidence in the positive contributions youth can make to peace and security,” she said.
Turning to broader UN initiatives, Ambassador Persaud stressed that engagement with the UN80 process should not focus solely on budgetary constraints.
“It is apposite to emphasise that as we engage on the UN80 initiative, we should not treat this as only a cutting exercise to address the serious liquidity constraints of the UN, but also an opportunity for prioritisation,” she noted.
Concluding her remarks, she highlighted the direct link between youth investment and global peace.
“For Guyana, investment in youth is an investment in peace. Engaging young people, giving them a greater voice in decision-making at local, national, regional and international levels will yield lasting peace dividends,” Ambassador Persaud said.
The event marked a milestone in the ongoing effort to recognise and enhance the role of youth in sustaining peace, a decade after the adoption of UNSCR 2250.