SOUTH COTABATO— The Bangsamoro Youth Commission (BYC) and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPPAP) is conducting a three-day ‘Regional and Provincial Youth, Peace and Security Consultations’ for 40 youth leaders from Maguindanao, Cotabato City, and Special Geographic Area (SGA) in North Cotabato.
Being held in Koronadal City from Oct. 19 – 21, the activity is also supported by the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Data gathered in the consultation will be included in the formulation of National and Regional Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security (NAP-YPS and RAP-YPS).
BYC Chairperson Marjanie Macasalong urged the youth leaders to exert their efforts in laying down their meaningful recommendations and insights in order to provide contextualized contribution to the YPS formulation.
“Peacebuilding and Security is one of Bangsamoro Government’s youth priority area with the goal to capture the BARMM [Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao] youth to participate in promoting human security, inclusive disengagement and reintegration programs, and prevention from association with armed groups,” said Macasalong.
Youth leaders from Sulu and Basilan underwent similar consultation in August this year, while those from Lanao del Sur and Marawi City attended their provincial consultation last week.
Participants from Tawi-Tawi will engage in a similar gathering later this month which will complete the five-province cycle of consultation in the region.
On December 9, 2015, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2250 (UNSCR 2250), a ground-breaking resolution on Youth, Peace and Security which recognizes that “young people play an important and positive role in the maintenance and promotion of international peace and security”.
The landmark resolution urges Member States to amplify youth’s voice in decision-making at the local, national, regional, and international levels and to consider setting up mechanisms that would enable young people to participate meaningfully in peace processes.
Being a member of the UN, the Philippines through the OPPAP will lead in formulating the NAP-YPS.
BYC Commissioner Nasserudin Dunding for Maguindanao, Cotabato City, and 63 barangays of North Cotabato emphasized that the youth’s localized perspective of peace and security is crucial in the government’s formulation of NAP-YPS.
Dunding further said that the NAP-YPS will outline the country’s YPS agenda based on the recommendations from consultations, which serve as a platform for young peace advocates to further strengthen their capacities in building a culture of peace and conflict sensitivity and mobilize a youth constituency to support the peace processes.
The NAP-YPS also aims to guide both policymakers and service-providers in integrating and adopting the action points in the formulation and implementation of policies and programs that will address or contribute to addressing the needs articulated by the youth. (Bangsamoro Information Office)
