COTABATO CITY (November 09, 2023) — The Bangsamoro Youth Commission (BYC) along with ministries, agencies, and offices of Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BRAMM) held a validation of the Bangsamoro Action Plan on Youth Peace and Security (BAP-YPS) on Wednesday, November 8, in this city.
After a series of consultations with BARMM stakeholders and the integration of consolidated comments in the action plan, the BAP-YPS finally underwent validation among BARMM agencies to gain commitment from partner offices and consolidate YPS-related activities before its target launch in December this year.
BYC Youth Development Officer Settie Ivy Ampatuan underscored the significance of the BAP-YPS in shaping the welfare of the region’s youth.
“The BAP-YPS serves as a crucial document for establishing the plans and necessities of the Bangsamoro youth concerning peace and security. Given BYC’s role as a policy-making body, we require the full cooperation of relevant agencies to effectively realize the goals outlined in the document. As the coordinating entity, the responsibility for implementing this document rests upon your respective offices,” Ampatuan said.
“We are aware that you have existing programs for the youth. This initiative is simply aimed at enhancing the comprehensiveness of our efforts towards improving the welfare of our young people,” she added.
In the plenary discussion, partner offices provided additional insights to further enrich the document. The resolution of this document is grounded in five fundamental pillars: participation, protection, prevention, partnership, and disengagement, and reintegration.
These pillars facilitate the active involvement of young women and men in peace processes and conflict resolution, while also tackling the root causes of the surge in violent extremism and conflict.
The BAP-YPS is also aimed at providing technical assistance for BARMM MOAs, LGUs, and CSOs in incorporating and adopting action points, or sub-action points to their respective development plans as they formulate programs and activities, and policies that will address peace and security of Bangsamoro youth.
Guided by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in collaboration with the Technical Working Group (TWG) members, the BAP-YPS stems from UN Security Council Resolution 2250. Adopted in 2015, this resolution marked the first acknowledgment of the vital role of youth in peace and security efforts. (BYC PR Unit/AAA)
