Youth, Peace & Security in Asia and the Pacific

A regional consultation on youth, peace & security in Asia and the Pacific was held by the United Nations from May 16 to 19 in Bangkok, Thailand. This is part of a global effort to bolster action on the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250 that calls for a greater role for young people in strengthening peace and security and to help reshape the role of youth in peacebuilding in communities and countries across the regions and worldwide, for a safer tomorrow.

Thirty-eight youth from the region gathered and discussed the challenges that they are facing and explored solutions from their own unique perspectives. Shuichi Minami, a Soka Gakkai Student Division leader, attended the consultation on behalf of SGI. He shared about the peace activities that are being carried out by the Student Division, including interviews with hibakusha and “awareness surveys” around the issue of nuclear weapons.

The participants wrapped up their proposals and then exchanged views with the UN staff. The outcomes from the consultation will feed into a global progress study on the positive contributions that young people are making to peacebuilding, which will be presented to the UN Secretary-General and its member states at the end of 2017.