By John Kelly Marah
The Ministry of Youth Affairs, in collaboration with international partners, has concluded a three-day capacity-building and roadmap development workshop for Sierra Leone’s National Action Plan on Youth, Peace, and Security.
The event, was held at Atlantic International Hotel Lumley from the 9th- 11th September 2025, brought together the Ministry of Youth Affairs, representatives of UN agencies, and members of the High-Level Committee.
According to Dr. Festus Kofi Aubya, Consultant for the National Action Plan, described the gathering as an important
and every one of you—for your active participation, for your thoughtful contributions, and for your unwavering commitment to shaping a more inclusive and peaceful Sierra Leone.
This workshop has not simply been a technical exercise. It has been an important demonstration of our collective will. Together, we have laid the foundation for a roadmap that will guide the development of Sierra Leone’s first National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security. This is a historic moment, one that signifies Sierra Leone’s readiness to move from aspiration to action, from policy dialogue to institutional reforms.
Over the past three days, we have benefited from rich experience-sharing. Not only from within this room—where the National Technical Working Group, ministries, departments and agencies of government, young people, civil society, the National Youth Council, and other stakeholders have come together—but also from beyond Sierra Leone’s borders.
We have drawn inspiration from The Gambia, which launched its National Action Plan last year; from Liberia, which launched its own just last month; and from Burundi in East Africa, which has successfully conducted a similar process. We have also gained insights from the Global Community of Practice on Youth, Peace and Security, including partners from the United States.
I commend the Ministry of Youth Affairs for its leadership in steering this process, and I recognize the critical contributions of the UN system—UNDP as the lead agency, alongside UNFPA, UN Women, UNICEF—as well as our long-standing partners in ECOWAS, the Peace and Security Governance Project (EPSG), co-funded by the German government through BMZ and the European Union, and implemented by GIZ. Our sincere appreciation also goes to the Ghanaian experts who shared their experiences with us.
Truly, what we are building together is a future where young people are not seen as passive participants in peace, but as architects of peace. As the United Nations, we reaffirm our readiness to stand beside you—technically, politically, and financially—as we refine and validate the roadmap, and as we move towards the full development and implementation of Sierra Leone’s National Action Plan.
Let us not leave this workshop only with a document in hand, but also with renewed energy and a shared sense of responsibility. The road ahead is long. It requires our collaboration, our transparency, our accountability, and our collective mobilization of resources.
The UN system is confident that Sierra Leone can emerge as a regional leader in advancing the Youth, Peace and Security agenda.
Once again, thank you for your courage, your vision, and your commitment as young people and partners in this process. Together, let us continue to build a future where every young person in Sierra Leone can thrive in peace and dignity.”
Furthermore, according to the head of mission in Germany Mike Schamotzki, I’m his statement asserted that
“Distinguished guests, representatives of government and civil society, directors and heads of agencies, young women and men of Sierra Leone and across the region, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls—yes, boys and girls, as inclusively said by the President of Botswana—I am truly delighted to join you today at the closure of this significant workshop.
Over the past days, we have worked together to formulate a framework that will guide the creation of Sierra Leone’s inaugural National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security. This is a milestone. Today’s generation of youth—the largest in modern history—is deeply affected by global affairs and equally plays a key role in shaping them.
For us in Europe, youth must not only be seen as beneficiaries of programs but as actors, leaders, and drivers of peace, dialogue, and change. Across West Africa, young people form the majority of the population, and their voices, ideas, and leadership are essential if we are to build stable, democratic, and peaceful societies.
We commend Sierra Leone for taking concrete steps to domesticate the Youth, Peace and Security agenda. It is not an easy task, but this workshop demonstrates clear commitment from government, civil society, and partners to include young women and men in designing solutions to today’s pressing challenges. Most importantly, it changes the narrative: youth are not only victims or perpetrators of violence, but positive contributors to peace and stability.
The National Action Plan will serve as a framework to ensure political and institutional backing, and our role as partners is to make sure this plan is inclusive, practical, and rooted in the lived realities of young people.
Germany is proud to contribute to this effort through the ECOWAS Peace and Security Governance (EPSG) Project, co-financed by the European Union and implemented under the Team Europe approach. Together with GIZ, Expertise France, and Enabel (Belgium), we are committed to strengthening youth, women, peace, and security as central pillars—not as afterthoughts, but as core dimensions of sustainable stability.
In closing, allow me to acknowledge all of you for your energy, contributions, and commitment. undoubtedly enhance our collective roadmap.
Germany, together with the European Union and our partners, remains fully committed to walking this journey Sierra Leone—harnessing the resilience, vision, and potential of its youth for peace and stability in this country and across the region.”
