Build Practical Skills to Advance Youth Participation in Peace and Security
Young people are increasingly recognized as powerful agents of change in preventing conflict, sustaining peace, and shaping inclusive security policies. To translate global commitments into real-world impact, practitioners need the right skills, frameworks, and tools.
Realizing the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda is a comprehensive, practitioner-focused online course jointly developed by United Nations System Staff College and the Folke Bernadotte Academy. The programme equips professionals working in peace and security with the knowledge and applied competencies needed to effectively implement the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agenda while working with and for young people.
Why This Course Matters
The adoption of landmark UN Security Council resolutions 2250 (2015), 2419 (2018), and 2535 (2020) elevated youth participation in peace and security from aspiration to international obligation. Despite progress, implementation remains uneven across local, national, and global levels.
This course responds directly to that gap by offering a structured, skills-based learning journey that strengthens institutional capacity and supports young women and men as contributors to peaceful and just societies.
Course Overview
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Language: English
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Format: Fully online
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Duration: Approximately 2 months of active learning (spread across 2026)
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Weekly workload: 3–4 hours
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Course fee: USD 1,250
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Enrollment Deadline: 10 April 2026
For more information about this apportunity, click here.
The programme blends self-paced modules, live expert-led webinars, peer exchange, and written assignments. Participants enjoy flexible access via the UNSSC online learning platform, enabling learning from anywhere in the world.
Course Structure and Timeline
Part I – YPS Foundational Skills
13 April – 22 May 2026
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Module 1: Introduction to the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda
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Module 2: Enabling meaningful youth participation
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Module 3: Conducting youth-sensitive conflict analysis
Includes one mandatory written assignment.
Part II – YPS Applied Skills (Elective Modules)
14 September – 30 October 2026
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Module 4: Serving as a YPS adviser or focal point
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Module 5: Youth-responsive and YPS-focused programming
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Module 6: In-country implementation of the YPS Agenda
Includes at least one written assignment. Successful completion requires finishing all foundational modules and at least one elective module with assignments.
Learning Methodology
Participants engage in:
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Guided self-study modules
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Live interactive webinars (six in total)
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Peer learning and experience sharing
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Individual feedback and one-to-one facilitator support
This approach ensures both conceptual understanding and practical application of YPS principles.
Who Should Apply
The course is designed for practitioners and representatives from:
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The UN system
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International and regional security organizations
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Non-governmental organizations
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Civil society organizations working on youth, peace, and security
Selection Process
Selection is competitive and based on:
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Quality of motivation statement
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Relevant experience and knowledge
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Commitment and availability
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Diversity across gender, geography, and sector
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Willingness to actively contribute to peer learning
UN applicants must also submit a supervisor’s endorsement as part of the online application.
Discover more learning opportunities here.