Gbarnga, Bong County – The Government of Liberia has begun a series of nationwide consultations aimed at strengthening youth participation in peacebuilding and security decision-making processes.
By Selma Lomax [email protected]
The initiative, led by the Liberia Peacebuilding Office in collaboration with the Ministries of Internal Affairs, Youth and Sports, and Foreign Affairs, is being supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
The engagement is part of Liberia’s efforts to localize and implement the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2250 on Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS).
The first phase of the consultation was held in Gbarnga on September 8, 2025, bringing together youth leaders, civil society organizations, community representatives, and government officials from Region Two, which includes Lofa, Nimba, and Bong counties.
Curtis Dabieh, National Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at the Liberia Peacebuilding Office, said the workshop is designed to increase young people’s understanding of the YPS agenda and empower them to become active contributors to national peace and development efforts.
“This workshop is a platform for young people and the older generation to share ideas and work together on solutions for peace and security in the country,” Dabieh said. “Today’s workshop in Gbarnga is targeting participants from Region Two, which includes Lofa, Nimba, and Bong counties. We will hold a similar workshop in Buchanan where participants will be drawn from three additional counties.”
Dabieh emphasized that engaging local youth organizations, civil society institutions, and community leaders is essential to building strong, collaborative networks capable of implementing the YPS agenda effectively across Liberia.
Also speaking at the workshop, J. Bryant McGill, Deputy Minister for Youth Development at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, highlighted the importance of collective youth engagement in national peacebuilding and conflict prevention strategies.
“This workshop guides collective efforts for engaging youth in peacebuilding, conflict prevention, and sustainable development,” McGill said. He explained that group discussions and interactive sessions are being used to solicit ideas and solutions directly from the diverse youth population represented at the regional gathering.
According to McGill, the nationwide consultations aim to raise awareness of Liberia’s commitments to the global Youth, Peace, and Security agenda while encouraging young people to play a central role in ensuring peace at community and national levels.
Representing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the opening ceremony, Madam Janice Smallwood Malekebu, Consultant and Focal Person on Diaspora Affairs, delivered a message on behalf of Foreign Affairs Minister Madam Sara Beysolow Nyanti. She reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to the national YPS engagement process.
“On behalf of the Minister, I extend warm greetings and express unwavering support for the regional consultations,” Malekebu said. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs remains firmly committed to the success of the YPS agenda and to advancing the National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security.”
She emphasized that the initiative aligns with President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development, which places youth at the center of Liberia’s future. She noted that with nearly 70 percent of Liberia’s population comprising young people, their involvement in peacebuilding is not optional but essential.
“This initiative aligns closely with President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development, which places young people at the heart of Liberia’s future,” she stressed.
Madam Malekebu also highlighted the Ministry’s responsibilities under Pillar Four of the National Action Plan on YPS, which focuses on strengthening partnerships among youth groups, civil society actors, and international institutions. She said these partnerships are critical to promoting peace and security while enhancing the government’s ability to mobilize resources.
“The regional engagement serves as a bridge between Liberia’s domestic peace priorities and its international diplomacy,” Malekebu stated. “Liberia’s recent election to the United Nations Security Council provides a unique platform to promote the youth, peace, and security agenda globally.”
She called on young people to see themselves as essential actors in peacebuilding, stressing that sustainable peace starts at the family and community levels—not only in government institutions.
“Maintaining the peace of Liberia is not just government business but starts in families and communities,” she said.
The Youth, Peace and Security National Engagement is part of Liberia’s broader peace consolidation strategy, aimed at ensuring that young people across the country are equipped, informed, and involved in shaping the nation’s future in line with global peace and development frameworks.
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