The Liberia Youth, Peace and Security Conference 2026, organized by the National Young Women Political Council of Liberia (NYWPCL) in partnership with PeaceGen implementing partners and national stakeholders, will be held under the theme, “Advancing Youth Leadership for Peace: Strengthening the Implementation of Liberia’s National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security.” The conference comes as stakeholders seek to move Liberia’s Youth, Peace and Security agenda beyond policy commitments and toward practical action in communities, particularly in rural, underserved and conflict-affected areas.
The conference, funded by the European Union and co-funded by the Embassy of Ireland, will bring together young women, youth representatives, conflict-affected communities, government institutions, civil society organizations and development partners to assess progress and challenges in advancing the national YPS agenda. Participants from Montserrado, Nimba, Bong, Bomi and Sinoe Counties are expected to engage in discussions on youth leadership, conflict prevention, transitional justice, community peacebuilding and partnerships to advance sustainable peace.
For the first time, the conference will be held in Nimba County, a significant location given its history and importance in Liberia’s peacebuilding efforts. Laura Targbeh, President of the National Young Women Political Council of Liberia, described the gathering as an opportunity for young people to take a more direct role in shaping Liberia’s future. Targbeh emphasized that the conference marks a turning point for young people to step forward as leaders in building the peace they deserve.
A major outcome of the conference will be the adoption of the Nimba Resolution on Youth, Peace and Security, which will outline collective commitments and recommendations from young people and other stakeholders aimed at strengthening youth leadership and accelerating implementation of Liberia’s national YPS agenda. Abdullah Oldpa Bility, Co-Chair of the Liberia Coalition on Youth, Peace and Security (LC-YPS), stressed that implementation must receive the same attention as the development and adoption of the national plan.
The conference will place particular emphasis on groups often underrepresented in national decision-making, including young women, rural youth, persons with disabilities and people from conflict-affected communities. Esther S. Davis Yango, Executive Director of WONGOSOL, said sustainable peace would remain difficult to achieve without meaningful youth participation and leadership. Yango called for commitments under Liberia’s youth, peace and security agenda to be translated into concrete action, with attention to ensuring that young people are not excluded from peacebuilding processes.
The PeaceGen Project, which runs until January 14, 2029, with funding from the European Union and co-funding from the Embassy of Ireland, focuses on capacity strengthening, dialogue, advocacy, community engagement and awareness initiatives aimed at increasing women’s and youth participation in peacebuilding. The project is implemented by the Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation in partnership with national organizations. Zoltan Szalai, Chargé d’Affaires of the European Union Delegation to Liberia, expressed pride in supporting the conference through the PeaceGen project, emphasizing the need for young women and men to shape decisions and lead action for peace.
Key points
- The conference aims to translate Liberia’s National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security into tangible results, particularly for communities in rural and conflict-affected areas.
