The role of youth in peace and conflict became central in the global security debate in 2015 when the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted the Security Council Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security (UNSCR 2250). This event is regarded by the advocates of the resolution as a significant shift in the discourse on youth in international peace and security. Focusing on the positive agency of youth in peace building, calling for structural inclusion of youth in all levels of peace building and decision-making makes this thematic resolution the first of its kind.

This thesis uses detailed narrative process tracing to investigate how UNSCR 2250 emerged and elaborates on and discusses the important turning points in the time leading up to the Security Council's decision. The thesis also conducts a content analysis of the UN Peacebuilding Fund's Youth Promotion Initiative (PBF YPI) to identify the focus areas in the YPI projects in order to understand how UNSCR 2250 is currently being conceptualized and implemented within the UN system.

The research in this thesis finds that the adoption of UNSCR 2250 in 2015 was a result of immense advocacy work by CSOs and UN entities outside of the Security Council, but also that other politically determining factors proved important. Four years on, the implementation of UNSCR 2250 has begun. The analysis of projects funded through the PBF YPI finds that participation and education are two of the most important focus areas of implementation. By financing youth projects tailored to local communities and conflict situations, the PBF YPI are laying the foundation of the implementation of UNSCR 2250 in its early phases.

Read full article: Youth, Peace and Security: A qualitative analysis of UNSCR 2250 and the international response to a new security agenda

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