Opening Remarks
Workneh Gebeyehu, IGAD Executive Secretary and chair of the inter-REC coordination and collaboration platform of the African Union
IGAD Youth Peace and Security Conference Institutionalising Participation of Youth in Peace Processes 13th – 14th August 2025; Nairobi, Kenya
- Hon. Salim Mvurya, EGH, Cabinet Secretary of the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports, Republic of Kenya,
- Distinguished delegates
- My favourite young leaders and fellow servants of peace
- Fellow peacebuilders, distinguished guests, and champions of youth empowerment.
- There is a shining beacon of hope across the IGAD region today, and it burns brightest in the hearts and minds of our youth. As we gather in this great city of Nairobi, I am reminded of these words: “The future doesn’t belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave.” And brave are the young men and women who refuse to accept conflict as their destiny.
- Over the past decade, IGAD has not merely talked about youth participation; we have taken bigger steps and built the architecture for it.
- Through our Conflict Early Warning and Response Mechanism, CEWARN, we have empowered young people to become the eyes and ears of peace in their communities.
- From the bustling markets of Addis Ababa to the remote villages along the Sudan-South Sudan border, young peace monitors are providing real-time intelligence that prevents conflicts before they ignite.
- Our achievements in countering violent extremism through the IGAD Centre of Excellence for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism stands as a testament to what is possible when we trust our youth. Since its establishment in 2018, the centre has trained over 500 young community leaders in counter-messaging techniques, alternative narrative development, and community resilience building. These young champions are not just recipients of our programs; they are the architects of innovative solutions.
- The IGAD Youth Policy Framework 2021-2030, adopted with unprecedented consensus by our member states, represents more is alive. It is our covenant with the future. We have committed to ensuring that no young person in our region will be excluded from the peace processes that determine their destiny.
- But let us not mistake progress for completion. Today, as youth under the age of 30 constitute over 60% of the total population in the IGAD region, we stand at a crossroads. We can either harness this demographic dividend for peace and prosperity, or watch it become a source of instability.
- The young people in Sudan who continue to agitate for a return to peace despite unimaginable challenges; the youth in Kenya whose voices have spoken truth to power; the displaced young people in refugee camps who still dream of returning home to build better societies you are not waiting for permission to be agents of change. You are demanding your rightful place at the table.
- Through CEWARN’s early warning systems, we have demonstrated that when youth are equipped with the right tools and trusted with responsibility, they become the most effective peacekeepers. Through ICEPCVE’s community engagement programs, we have shown that young people can be the most credible voices against radicalization and extremism.
- Honorable cabinet secretary, my dear colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, the age of youth as passive beneficiaries is over. The age of youth as partners in peace has begun. Let this conference mark not just a conversation, but a commitment. A commitment to institutionalize youth participation not as a favour, but as a fundamental requirement for sustainable peace.
- The future is in the capable hands of our young people, many of whom are in this room. Let us ensure their hands are empowered to build the peaceful, prosperous IGAD region we all envision.
Thank you very much.
ES statement – Youth Peace and Security Conference 13.08.2025
