Young Leaders to Gather in Nimba for Liberia Youth, Peace and Security Conference 2026

Nimba County, 19 September 2026 — The National Young Women Political Council of Liberia (NYWPCL), in partnership with the PeaceGen implementing partners and national stakeholders, will convene the Liberia Youth, Peace and Security Conference 2026 on 21 September 2026, in Ganta City, Nimba County under the theme “Advancing Youth Leadership for Peace: Strengthening the Implementation of Liberia’s National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security”

The conference is held as part of the PeaceGen Project, funded by the European Union and co-funded by the Embassy of Ireland. The project aims to strengthen the meaningful participation and leadership of women and young people in peacebuilding, transitional justice, memorialization, and accountability processes in Liberia.

“The EU is proud to support the Liberia Youth, Peace and Security Conference through the PeaceGen project. The time has come for young women and men not only to be heard, but to shape decisions and lead action for peace. This conference can help translate Liberia’s National Action Plan on YPS into tangible results for communities across the country, especially those in rural and conflict-affected areas,” said Zoltan Szalai, Chargé d’Affaires of the European Union Delegation to Liberia.

Happening for the first time in Nimba County, the conference will bring together young women, youth, representatives of conflict-affected communities, government institutions, civil society organizations, and development partners to examine progress and challenges in advancing Liberia’s Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agenda. Discussions will focus on meaningful youth participation and leadership, partnerships and institutionalization, conflict prevention and community peacebuilding, and strengthening mechanisms to measure, document, and demonstrate impact. The conference will promote knowledge exchange and collective commitments to strengthen youth participation in peacebuilding, reconciliation, social cohesion, and decision-making, particularly among youth in rural and underserved communities

Participants representing Montserrado, Nimba, Bong, Bomi, and Sinoe Counties will engage in high-level discussions on the implementation of Liberia’s National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security, youth leadership, conflict prevention, transitional justice, and the role of partnerships in advancing sustainable peace.

“For too long, young women and youth have watched decisions about our future being made without us in the room. This conference is a turning point—it is our generation stepping forward, not as bystanders, but as leaders in building the peace we all deserve. Nimba’s history reminds us where we have been; this conference shows the world where we are going,” said Laura Targbeh, President of the National Young Women Political Council of Liberia.

A key highlight of the conference will be the adoption of the Nimba Resolution on Youth, Peace and Security, a collective statement outlining commitments and recommendations from young people and stakeholders aimed at strengthening youth leadership and accelerating implementation of the national YPS agenda.

Emphasizing the importance of youth ownership in implementing the NAP-YPS, Abdullah Oldpa Bility, Co-Chair of the Liberia Coalition on Youth, Peace and Security (LC-YPS), said: “I believe the implementation of Liberia’s National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security is as important as the development and adoption of the plan. The YPS agenda gives young people a platform for our voices to be heard and our contributions to be recognized and legitimized. That’s why the agenda should move beyond policy on paper to making an actual impact on the ground. It’s a youth agenda, and young people should be empowered to lead its implementation. There is nothing for youth without youth.”

The discussions will place particular emphasis on strengthening the participation and leadership of young women, rural youth, persons with disabilities, conflict-affected communities, and other groups that remain underrepresented in national decision-making processes.

Speaking ahead of the conference, Esther S. Davis Yango, Executive Director, WONGOSOL, noted: “ Peace cannot be sustained without the meaningful participation and leadership of young people, particularly young women. We must move beyond recognizing young people as beneficiaries of peacebuilding to fully recognizing them as leaders and partners.” She added: “As we advance Liberia’s youth, peace and security agenda, our collective responsibility is to turn commitments into concrete action and ensure that no young person is left behind in building a peaceful and inclusive Liberia”.

The conference is organized in collaboration with the PeaceGen Liberia partners led by the National Young Women Political Council of Liberia (NYWPCL), the Liberia Coalition on Youth, Peace and Security (LCYPS), the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, and the Liberia Peacebuilding Office.

As Liberia continues to advance its commitments under the global Youth, Peace and Security agenda, the conference aims to reaffirm the role of young people as leaders, partners, and agents of change in promoting reconciliation, conflict prevention, social cohesion, and sustainable development.

About the PeaceGen Project

Running until January 14, 2029, the PeaceGen Project is funded by the European Union, with co-funding support from the Embassy of Ireland in Liberia and implemented by the Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation in partnership with national organizations. Through capacity strengthening, dialogue platforms, advocacy, community engagement, and awareness initiatives, the project aims to strengthen women’s and youth participation in peacebuilding, promote awareness of transitional justice and memorialization, and support inclusive approaches to reconciliation, accountability, and sustainable peace in Liberia.