Beyond Vulnerability: A Guidance Note on Youth, Climate, Peace and Security

In recent years, young people’s crucial role in preventing conflict and maintaining peace has become increasingly recognized as the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agenda has gained momentum. At the same time, the Climate, Peace and Security (CPS) field is developing rapidly at the research and policy levels. CPS is also increasingly becoming an entry point for programming; recognizing the interactions between climate change and existing vulnerabilities, which compound risks of insecurity, including violent conflict and the erosion of social cohesion.

Although the connections between youth, climate, peace, and security are evident in reality, they have not been adequately translated into integrated policy and programming approaches. This guidance note by the Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) is the first of its kind that bridges the climate, peace, and security (CPS) and youth, peace, and security (YPS) agendas.

It has been shaped by the essential input of young people. Through interviews and focus group discussions, young practitioners working at the intersection of peace and climate initiatives shared key insights from their experiences, particularly from fragile, conflict-affected regions across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and MENA – in essence making the note possible.

The guidance note sheds new light on how young people are at the leading edge of these efforts—already acting and working in an integrated manner to address climate-related security risks. It also provides practitioners with exploratory guidance and considerations for creating an integrated agenda on youth, climate, peace and security within research and analysis, programming, strategic planning, policy-making, and funding that can ultimately drive progress on the Sustainable Development Goals.