The AU Commission (AUC) issued a press release on the experience-sharing roundtable dialogue on the implementation and development of Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) National Action Plans (NAPs). The meeting, which took place at AU headquarters from 12 to 13 April, was organized by the Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS) Department of the AUC and aimed at promoting the development and implementation of NAPs on YPS. The discussions brought together representatives from member states that have adopted NAPs, member states that have officially begun the process of developing NAPs, and member states that have expressed strong interest and are committed to following suit. The two-day exchange provided a platform to share best practices and lessons learnt and to develop more robust approaches in the national and regional implementation of the Continental Framework on Youth, Peace and Security (CFYPS), and AU Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) decisions from its 933rd, 963rd and 1067th meetings, as well as the United Nations Security Council Resolutions 2250 (2015), 2419 (2018) and 2535 (2021) in advancing the YPS agenda in Africa, in collaboration with Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms (RECs/RMs) as well as national and international partners.

The round table dialogue highlighted the importance of partnership and coordination among the key pillars of the Continental Framework on YPS. The over forty delegates, from amongst others, Burundi, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Tunisia, The Gambia, Uganda, and Zimbabwe have formed a community of practice to promote exchanges of resources, support each other and encourage interaction and cooperation between YPS stakeholders. They have, among others, elaborated strategies and roadmaps to advance the development of NAPs across Africa. The RECs, including COMESA, ECOWAS, and other development partners, reiterated their commitment to building youth capacities towards the entrenchment of NAPs.