Youth

The work with and for youth is an important part of the Mission’s portfolios, which is ensured through a formal incorporation of a youth portfolio into its structure. The Gender and Youth Unit, along with the informal network of youth focal points and other colleagues are there to ensure that youth perspectives are integrated in all aspects of work of the Mission. 

The Mission appreciates the unique way young people promote a positive outlook through advancing mutual understanding, reconciliation and regional co-operation, and their desire to protect the norms underpinning democratic governance. Nonetheless, rising levels of youth disengagement from political and public life and a growing sense of marginalization pose a major challenge. By increasing the democratic political culture of youth and their capacity for a constructive dialogue, the Mission aims to increase the sustainability of their civic engagement and political participation.