OSCE 2017 Youth Conference participants propose recommendations for mainstreaming youth issues into the security agenda

MOLLINA, Spain, 29 May 2017 – Ten recommendations for mainstreaming the youth agenda into responses to security challenges was proposed by more than 70 young people between the ages of 18 and 29 from OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operation at the end of the two-day OSCE 2017 Youth Conference on 26 May 2017 in Spain's Málaga province.

The conference, organized by Spain´s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality in co-operation with the OSCE Secretariat, was held ten years after the first OSCE Youth Forum took place in Madrid during Spain’s 2007 OSCE Chairmanship. This year´s conference recognized the growing importance of the youth and security agenda in the international arena, as acknowledged in UN Security Council Resolution 2250 (2015) on Youth, Peace and Security.

The so-called “Decalogue” of recommendations, which will be submitted to the OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operation for their review, is as follows:

• Develop a cross-cutting OSCE policy on youth matters;
• Create online platforms, awareness campaigns and education programmes to counter and prevent violent extremism and radicalization that leads to terrorism;
• Promote computer literacy and online security awareness to protect young people from cyber threats;
• Harness the skills and motivation of young people to build cyber resilience;
• Establish clear mechanisms for youth engagement in implementing, monitoring and reviewing states´ efforts on the UN´s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
• Enable youth to contribute to the transition to green economies;
• Encourage civic education and democratic values among young people to strengthen their capacity to critically engage with the media and the digital world;
• Urge all media and digital actors to acknowledge their social responsibility and influence, and their resulting accountability, to raise the visibility of stories and opinions of young people;
• Support OSCE participating States in promoting youth-impact assessment mechanisms on national legislation;
• Establish structural mechanisms for the meaningful and inclusive participation of young women and men from OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operation.

On the first day of the conference, participants heard from high-level and young leader panelists on the nexus between youth and security.

"In order to effectively address current threats in the OSCE-area we need to actively engage young people. Their participation in developing innovative approaches will allow us to take our work further.” said Special Representative of the 2017 OSCE Chairmanship Christian Strohal. He highlighted the Austrian Chairmanship´s activities this year to engage youth, for example the appointment of four Youth Special Representatives and conducting of workshops for young people on countering violent extremism and radicalization.

During his intervention, OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier stressed that there is an ethical argument for engaging with youth.

“Young people are often misrepresented and their voices are rarely heard in peace and security fora. In their engagement with us, young people have shown that they are ready and well placed to contribute to addressing the security challenges we face today,” he said. “We hope to continue and expand our work based on recent OSCE Ministerial Council Decisions and UN Security Council Resolution 2250. The latter provides a strong legal instrument in urging UN Member States to increase the representation of youth in decision-making at all levels, including international institutions.”

Spain's Minister for Health, Social Services and Equality Dolors Montserrat said that young people are a source of opportunities.

“Your decisions will affect the society of the future,” she said. “There will be diversity if you defend it among yourselves; there will be tolerance if you practice it among yourselves; there will be security if you foster it among yourselves; there will be peace if you guarantee respect among yourselves; and there will be freedom, if you do not let fear live among you.”