We, young leaders from around the world, gathered here in Munich, Germany on 21-26 July 2021 at the One Young World Summit, express our commitment to live in a peaceful global society.

We also express our gratitude to the European Commission for its support and granted scholarships, and to the One Young World for its concerted efforts and giving us the space to engage in conversations around youth, peace, and security. This gives us a stronger voice to speak to the international community about our needs and circumstances.

At a time when many states are undermining international norms and standards aimed at promoting and protecting peace and human security, we need new approaches to ensure that the United Nation’s (UN) “Sustaining Peace” Agenda achieves tangible, transformative results for all those living in the shadow of violent conflict.

Ahead of the 6th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250 (2015) on Youth and Peace and Security followed by United Nations Security Council Resolutions 2419 (2018) and 2535 (2020), the 21st anniversary of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security, and the 73rd anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as inspired by the UN Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development, we reflected upon the Missing Peace Independent Progress Study, the If I Disappear Global Report on Protecting Young People in Civic Space, the first issue of the Journal of Youth, Peace and Security, and the Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action Compact as part of the Generation Equality Forum all of which highlight the important and impactful role of young people in creating and sustaining peace and security at all levels within their communities. We exchanged experiences and set key implementation priorities for the way forward. We call for greater recognition for, and support to, youth working on building and sustaining inclusive peace.

We urgently call on the governments, international and regional organizations, citizens, young people, and other relevant stakeholders on:

1) ACKNOWLEDGING the particularly acute impact of COVID-19 pandemic on young people, especially on freedom of movement, education, employment, and economic independence of youth; as well as the importance of the young people’s role in supporting the public health and emergency response by taking responsibility for their health based on the best available evidence and information;

2) PROMOTING the safety and protection of all people around the world from all forms of violence as well as prompt response and effective rehabilitation, so that people are better positioned to participate in conflict prevention, resolution, recovery and reintegration, and their resilience is enhanced in the face of absence of peace and security and of armed conflict situations;

3) CONDEMNING violence of any kind, hate crimes, war crimes, genocide, denial and relativisation or misinterpretation of genocide and crimes, and violations of human rights, as well as non-compliance with International Law and the verdicts of the International and Regional Courts;

4) EMPHASISING the importance of recognizing and empowering the equal, full and meaningful participation of young people in conflict resolution, non-violent movements, formal and informal peace processes and peacekeeping missions given their necessary role in building positive peace at the local, regional, and international level;

5) URGING Member States and international and regional organizations to take further measures to meaningfully include young people in their pursuit to ending violence against children, youth, women, journalists, minorities, marginalized groups, and human rights defenders through engaging them in political and economic decision-making by, inter alia, promoting youth’s leadership and capacity to engage in aid management and planning, supporting youth’s organizations, providing youth-friendly funding mechanisms and countering negative societal attitudes about youth’s capacity to participate equally;

6) RAISING awareness of the UN’s “Sustaining Peace” Agenda and the UN Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development among policymakers as well as the general public, and encouraging inter-governmental discussions on issues of critical importance to both agendas so as to share policy experiences, lessons learned and best practices, and identify ways of cooperation;

7) ENCOURAGING youth-led consultations, knowledge creation and engagements, where appropriate, with regional and international organizations, peacebuilders, civil society, the academia and other relevant stakeholders, to promote and support the implementation of the UN’s agendas at the national and regional levels, as well as highlight youth perspectives on and experience with security and peace processes through research and collaboration;

8) STRESSING the vital importance of informal and non-formal learning, the arts, sport, volunteering, and social activities in terms of encouraging youth participation and social cohesion, which are recognized as tools that can have immense impact on local communities and can help address many of today’s societal challenges.

Bearing in mind that the world needs youth participation, unity, and cooperation in today’s challenging times now more than ever, we call our young counterparts around the globe to take actions, to step up and engage in policy and decision-making processes, to get involved in peacebuilding and reconciliation programs at all levels, and to advocate for the best interest of their peers, we invite other stakeholders to commit to intergenerational leadership with young people.

As the One Young World Peace Ambassadors attending the Munich Summit, we pledge to work together with all stakeholders in implementing the above-mentioned commitments.