FOSDA has joined young peacebuilders across West Africa to cocreate the Accra Youth Declaration on Peace and Security in West Africa. The declaration was made as part of a 3-day Summit on Peace, Peacebuilding and Security to shape the region’s peace and security agenda. The Declaration sets out priority areas identified as key to improving the participation of young people in peace and security processes. They include having

  1. Dedicated funding for youth peacebuilding at national and regional levels;
  2. Formal quotas for youth participation in peace processes and parliaments;
  3. Investment in human capital and livelihoods as a long-term conflict prevention strategy;
  4. Creation of safe spaces where young people can share experiences and grievances safely.
  5. Structural approach to engaging traditional and community leaders as genuine partners.

The Summit which was held under the theme “Leaders of Today, Not Tomorrow,” brought together committed young peacebuilders across West Africa to connect, learn and share experiences on the role and opportunities for youth in peace and security in the region. Convened by Conciliation Resources and partners Northcode Ghana and Indigo Côte d’Ivoire with funding from Global Affairs Canada, created a safe platform for critical discussions on structural barriers that prevent young people from contributing meaningfully to peace and security; skills workshops and structured dialogue with traditional leaders, thematic dialogues on economic exclusion, governance, border security, and vulnerability to radicalisation, conflict prevention and early warning; role of formal and informal institutions

The participants from Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, the Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria and Togo committed to engaging governments, multilateral organisations, the African Union, ECOWAS and other institutions that hold the power to make peace more possible in this region.

The Summit was part of the Leaders of Today, Not Tomorrow project, which runs from January 2025 to December 2027. The project works with young women and men in the northern border regions of Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana to strengthen transnational youth peace leadership and is funded by Global Affairs Canada.