UNDP Resident Representative to The Gambia, Ms Mandisa Mashologu, has reaffirmed UNDP’s strong commitment to peacebuilding, security and youth empowerment efforts in the country.
Ms Mashologu was speaking during a two-day capacity building training for ministerial focal persons on youth, peace and security (YPS) held at the African Princess Beach Hotel recently.
Young people are not only beneficiaries but also key actors in sustaining peace, preventing conflict and strengthening social cohesion, said Mashologu.
She highlighted the importance of equipping ministerial focal persons with the knowledge and skills to mainstream youth, peace and security into sectoral policies, planning, and implementation.
“Investing in youth participation and inclusive governance is essential for long-term peace and national development,” she stated.
Executive Director of National Youth Council (NYC), Alagie Jarju, underscored the critical role of ministries in translating the YPS framework into tangible actions that positively impact young people nationwide.
Speaking on behalf of the minister of Youth and Sports, Abass Bah, expressed government’s continued dedication to youth, peace and security agenda in the country.
Bah highlighted that The Gambia has made significant strides, including the establishment of a technical working group that coordinated the development of the country’s first-ever national action plan on youth, peace and security (NAP-YPS).
He acknowledged the series of capacity-building initiatives for the technical working group and the nationwide popularisation of NAP-YPS.
Bah noted that the training was a crucial step towards deepening ownership and coordination at the ministerial level.
He called on participants to actively engage and champion YPS principles within their respective institutions.
Meanwhile, the two-day training seeks to strengthen understanding of youth, peace and security framework and enhance coordination among ministries on YPS implementation.
The training also seeks to support mainstreaming of YPS into national and sectoral policies to build the capacity of focal persons to effectively contribute to peacebuilding and youth inclusion.
This important initiative was implemented with support from the Infrastructure for Peace Project, funded by the Peacebuilding Fund through UNDP.
The National Youth Council (NYC) would continue to invest in young people as agents of peace, stability and sustainable development in The Gambia.
