«How can we achieve sustainable peace if we do not educate and empower youth to strive for it?»

During the 60th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, IIMA —on behalf of an NGO coalition that includes FMSI— contributed to the Biennial Panel on Youth and Human Rights.

The discussion highlighted the transformative role of young people in building peaceful, inclusive societies, while also confronting the barriers many still face, especially in contexts of poverty, conflict, displacement and discrimination. Our contribution placed young people not as recipients of decisions, but as key actors whose leadership, creativity and lived experience are essential to advancing human rights and sustainable peace.

In our statement, we asked a simple but urgent question: “How can we achieve sustainable peace if we do not educate and empower youth to strive for it?”

We underlined that quality education—and in particular human rights education—is a strategic investment. It equips young people to claim their rights, challenge injustice, mediate conflict peacefully, and shape decisions that affect their lives and their communities. Education, in short, is the first step to empowerment.

What we called for:

· Remove barriers to meaningful youth participation in all decision-making spaces—from local councils to national and international forums. 

· Guarantee quality education and human rights education for all, so that every young person has the knowledge and skills to act as a peacebuilder.

 · Systematically protect and advance youth rights across UN human rights processes, ensuring consistent attention and follow-up.

Young people are not only the future; they are shaping the present. Recognizing their rights and contributions is fundamental to building a more just and peaceful world for everyone.

🕐Watch our statement at 1:06:40 and the full Panel here: https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1f/k1fvvh5r2u