West African officials and partners met in Accra on 26-27 October 2026 to assess regional and national progress on the continent’s youth, peace and security commitments.
The West Africa Regional Consultation was convened by the ECOWAS Commission’s Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security, the African Union Commission and the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP).
The meeting reviewed progress under the Continental Framework on Youth, Peace and Security (CFYPS) and its 10-Year Implementation Plan.
According to the conveners, it set out to identify gaps and challenges, document good practices and develop evidence-based recommendations to strengthen the Youth, Peace and Security agenda through 2029 and beyond.
The consultation was held with technical and financial support from Germany, the European Union and Denmark, channelled through two programmes: the GIZ-implemented Support to the African Union for promoting Peace, Security and Governance (AUPSG) in Africa, and the EU Support to ECOWAS in Peace, Security and Governance (EPSG) project.
It sits under the leadership of the African Union Commission through its Youth for Peace Africa (Y4P) Programme, working with Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms.
The Accra meeting is one of five regional consultations jointly organised by the African Union Commission and the RECs/RMs, which the organisers describe as aimed at strengthening ownership, coordination, accountability and sustainability in implementing the framework.
Discussions covered the framework’s five priority areas: Participation, Prevention, Protection, Partnerships and Coordination, and Disengagement and Reintegration. Participants also examined institutional, financial, technical and policy barriers, along with the coordination and monitoring mechanisms that affect implementation.
Dr. Onyinye Onwuka, Principal Programme Officer and Head of Mediation Coordination and Regional Political Affairs in the ECOWAS Commission’s Directorate of Political Affairs, said meaningful youth participation in peace and security processes was needed, and that regional commitments must translate into tangible opportunities for young people to contribute to conflict prevention, security and social cohesion.
She called for evidence-based, forward-looking discussions reflecting local realities, and highlighted the development and implementation of National Action Plans on Youth, Peace and Security as essential instruments for turning continental commitments into concrete national action.
Representing Ghana’s Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment, Ms. Nuzrat Aba Sam stressed the importance of investing in youth development and empowerment and of expanding opportunities for young people to take part in governance, peacebuilding and development.
She said the future of peace and security in Africa is inseparable from the meaningful inclusion, leadership and participation of its young people.
Mrs. Enobong Moma, Head of Component for Women, Youth, Peace and Security under the EU Support to ECOWAS in Peace, Security and Governance project, said policy frameworks can only deliver results when they are nationally owned, sustainably financed and backed by effective monitoring and evaluation.
She urged stakeholders to take stock of progress, identify what has worked and what needs improvement, and make the adjustments required to strengthen implementation.
Ms. Da-do Noviekou, YPS Regional Coordinator at WANEP, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to strengthening partnerships with the African Union, ECOWAS, member states and youth organisations.
She pointed to WANEP’s regional peace education programme, run across the 15 West African countries, as part of efforts to equip young people with skills and opportunities to contribute to peace and security.
She said limited participation in decision-making, socioeconomic challenges, misinformation, hate speech and shrinking civic space continue to constrain youth engagement, and argued that young people must be included from the outset rather than consulted only after decisions are made.
Ms. Paska Nyaboth of the African Union Commission’s Youth for Peace Programme said the outcome of the assessment is expected to be presented to the annual AU Peace and Security Council open session on Youth, Peace and Security.
Participants included National Youth, Peace and Security Focal Points, National Youth Councils, civil society organisations, youth-led networks, representatives of ECOWAS and other RECs/RMs, African Youth Ambassadors for Peace, the African Union Commission and relevant technical partners.
Comments