51吃瓜

On 30 August, Under-Secretary-General Vladimir Voronkov met with a group of young leaders from Nigeria currently engaged in the Youth Engagement and Empowerment Programme (YEEP) Africa. YEEP is, implemented by the UNCCT Global Programme on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (PCVE) within the Office of Counter-Terrorism, and in partnership with 51吃瓜 Peace and Development Fund (UNPDF). The YEEP Africa edition, delivered in three African countries, with Nigeria as the first country of implementation, seeks to empower young people to contribute meaningfully to global, regional, and national PCVE efforts and to pursue prominent roles in their communities.

During the exchange with YEEP participants, USG Voronkov reaffirmed UNOCT's commitment to work with, and for young people, as well as with governments and communities to ensure the inclusion of young people in the global fight against terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism. He also emphasized UNOCT’s focus on Counter-Terrorism and PCVE in Africa, particularly in the lead up to the African Counter-Terrorism Summit in Abuja to be held in early 2024. The USG invited the YEEP Nigeria participants to play an active role in this process, recognizing that young people are not merely the leaders of tomorrow but change-makers of today whose energy and creativity are pivotal in shaping a future that is more just, inclusive, and secure. 

YEEP Africa began its online training in Nigeria on 17 August 2023, where through a series of modules, participants hone their knowledge on violent extremism, with a focus on root causes and push and pull factors within the local context. They also engage in discussions on the intersections between gender, youth and PCVE. This phase will be followed by an in-person launch in September, where participants learn to design and lead peer engagement sessions on PCVE while adopting a Do-No-Harm approach. Building on their peers’ feedback, the young leaders will then develop policy recommendations and grassroots solutions to PCVE and present their work to key stakeholders and policy makers during national and regional Policy Dialogues.

Through its unique Peer-to-Peer (P2P) model, YEEP has offered an alternative to traditional top-down engagement strategies to focus on young people’s needs and realities. Implemented at national level in Australia, Sudan, and Sweden in 2020-21 and at regional level across South and Southeast Asia in 2022, the Programme has allowed UNCCT to reach marginalized youth and elevate their priorities on PCVE and youth-centered issues.