ACCORD recently partnered with Local Youth Corner Cameroon (LOYOC) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit to conduct a national sensitisation workshop on developing a national action plan on youth peace and security (YPS) in Cameroon. The workshop, which took place from 3-4 October 2023, was facilitated by Mr Achaleke Christian Leke, the African Union Youth Ambassador for Peace for the Central African Region, and Dr Rhuks Ako. Ms Adeline Meinang Dontsop, Deputy Director of the National Commission on YPS also attended the workshop, sharing key insights on the role of the National commission.
The event, which took place in Yaoundé, brought together young people from across Cameroon to discuss the development of national action plans so as to optimise their meaningful participation in the process. A major theme of the event was the importance of building communities of practice and coordinating peacebuilding efforts between youth groups as well as fostering the same shared practice with civil society organisations, government bodies, and intergovernmental organisations. Representatives were selected from each of Cameroon’s ten regions, allowing the participants to share their varied and unique experiences and specific peace and security concerns.
Parallel to this event, representatives from ACCORD met with His Excellency, Mr Mounouna Foutsou, Cameroon’s Minister of Youth Affairs and Civic Education. His Excellency discussed Cameroon’s continued commitment to the YPS Agenda, as evidenced by the work of the National Commission. ACCORD engaged with the minister on the institution’s past and current YPS contributions as well as ÁCCORD’s strategic alignment on youth-focused programming in the broader peace and security landscape.
This workshop continues ACCORD’s relationship with the African Union Youth Ambassadors for Peace, following the election-related conflict management training that the institution hosted for the Youth Ambassadors, including Mr Leke. In November 2022. This activity also builds on ACCORD’s engagements with youth in Central Africa, following a dialogue conducted in partnership with the Economic Community of Central African States on the implementation of youth frameworks in the region, held on 3 August 2023. ACCORD will continue its efforts to promote the role of youth in preventing, mitigating, and resolving conflict.
