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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Greater representation of youth in peace processes necessary

13 December 2015

Belgrade/ Vienna/ Warsaw, 13 Dec 2015 — OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Serbia’s Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic, OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier and Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) Michael Georg Link today welcomed the adoption by the UN Security Council earlier this week of a Resolution on Youth, Peace and Security.

According to a statement by the OSCE, they urged greater representation of young men and women in peace processes and conflict prevention and resolution, especially amid the rise of radicalization to violence and violent extremism amongst youth, which can be conducive to terrorism.

Dacic said that empowering youth is critical for generating effective counter-narratives that encourage vulnerable individuals to reject terrorism and for preventing the seeds of intolerance, radicalization and extremism from taking root in our societies.

He welcomed the UN Security Council’s first resolution on youth, peace and security issues and recall the Declaration on Youth and Security unanimously adopted at the OSCE Ministerial Council in Belgrade last week, which underlines the role that young people can play to support participating States in implementing OSCE commitments in all three dimensions of the Organization’s security concept.

He added that the Serbian Chairmanship of the OSCE appointed the Organisation’s first-ever Special Representatives on Youth and Security earlier this year.

OSCE Secretary General Zannier said that increasing participation and engagement of youth in decision-making at all levels, including within international institutions and mechanisms, is vital to efforts for the prevention and resolution of conflicts, as well as to counter violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism

Underscoring our common efforts, I joined Serbia’s OSCE Chairmanship this year in launching the ‘OSCE United in Countering Violent Extremism’ campaign, which has already reached almost four million people through social media, giving a voice to young people and tapping into their creative thinking to effectively address this issue, he added.

Director Link said that youth can play a key role in efforts to promote tolerance and universal human rights in order to challenge extremist ideas that advocate for the destruction of democracy and the negation of human rights and fundamental freedoms, according to the OSCE statement.