According to the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250, youth must be included in decision-making processes, conflict resolution and in building secure societies. We are now looking for new active young people and civil society organisations to join Finland’s 2250 Network and its Coordination Group. The deadline for the call has been postponed until 18 March!
Active participation of youth prevents marginalisation and their involvement in violent conflicts, and strengthens youth inclusion in society. Sustainable peace is not possible without youth engagement. The 2250 resolution on Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) is now being put into practice in Finland, in line with the first National Action Plan (NAP). This National Action Plan is a result of an active partnership of Finland’s 2250 Network that consists of young people and civil society organisations. After the NAP, the work continues, and the Network has an important role as catalyst in the implementation and monitoring of progress. Read more about the Network and its members on our website. You will find more information about the YPS resolution at the end of this article.
Join the 2250 network!
Finland’s 2250 Network is open to all and welcomes people and organisations who are interested in youth inclusion, security, and peacebuilding. Anyone can join the Network by requesting to join the Network’s Facebook group and by committing to respect values and goals. Meetings are organised on a monthly basis in an online or a hybrid format. Organisations can join the Network by contacting Kaisa Larjomaa, the International Advocacy Expert of the Finnish National Youth Council Allianssi, who is the secretary of the Network (contact information below).
Apply to become a member of the Coordination Group of the 2250 Network!
We have also a call for interested persons and organisations to apply for membership in the Coordination Group of the 2250 Network for the period of 2022 – 2023. The Coordination Group consists of young people and organisations that want to be particularly actively involved in the work and development of the Network and commit to communication also between the Network’s meetings. The members of the Coordination Group communicate with each other actively between the meetings, represent the Network in events and respond quickly to requests regarding consultations and public speaking opportunities.
The tasks of the Coordination Group are:
- the coordination of youth and civil society cooperation with regards to YPS topics
- the preparation of and participation in Network meetings
- cooperation with decision-makers
- bringing the perspective of youth and the civil society in the discussion on YPS in Finland and abroad
- speaker engagements and consultations in Finland and abroad
- communicating about YPS topics to the public
The Coordination Group works at the national level, and online participation in Network meetings is always available. The principal language of the Network and the Coordination Group in Finnish, but you are also free to speak Swedish or English.
You can become a member of the Coordination Group if you are
- ready to participate in different tasks of the Coordination Group, as agreed
- able to participate in the meetings regularly and to keep in touch between the meetings
- motivated and ready to familiarize yourself with the youth, peace and security topics
- active in Finland, or you have some other connection to Finland
- an individual, an association, or an organised group of people
- young (< 29 years), an actor in the youth sector, other civil society actor, or otherwise committed to act for and with young people
Diversity is important to us: we warmly welcome persons who represent or identify with different minorities or marginalised groups, different genders, and come from different regions in Finland.
Apply online latest on 18 March here: www.lyyti.in/2250taskforce_22-23
What is the UNSCR 2250?
In 2011 during SuomiAreena, an annual public debate forum held in Pori, Finland, three Finnish civil society organisations (Finnish National Youth Council Alliassi, the UN Association of Finland and the Guidies and Scouts of Finland) handed over an appeal to Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary General of the United Nations, in order to create a United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) on Youth, Peace and Security. At the time, there were no resolutions about young people’s positive role in conflict prevention and peacebuilding. The Security Council adopted the Resolution concerning the role of youth in peacebuilding and conflict resolution in 2015, the UNSCR 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security.
The Resolution has five key pillars:
PARTICIPATION: Take youth’s participation and views into account in decision-making processes, from negotiation and prevention of violence to peace agreements.
PREVENTION: Support young people in preventing violence and in promoting a culture of tolerance and intercultural dialogue.
PROTECTION: Ensure the protection of young civilians’ lives and human rights, and investigate and prosecute those responsible for crimes perpetrated against them.
PARTNERSHIPS: Engage young people during and after conflict when developing peacebuilding strategies, along with community actors and United Nations bodies.
DISENGAGEMENT & REINTEGRATION: Invest in youth affected by armed conflict through employment opportunities, inclusive labour policies and education promoting a culture of peace.
In spring 2018 Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini announced that Finland would create its National Action Plan to implement the Resolution. In August 2021, Finland’s and the world’s first ever National Action Plan (NAP) on Youth, Peace and Security was published. Finland’s 2250 Network has been actively involving the youth and civil society organisations in the NAP process and raising their voices through e.g. consultations and providing comments to draft NAPs.
Further information:
Kaisa Larjomaa
International Advocacy Expert, Finnish National Youth Council Allianssi
kaisa.larjomaa@alli.fi
+358 44 4165 292