Liberia: Nimba to Host Youth Peace Conference as Young Leaders Push for Action on National Peace Plan

GANTA, NIMBA COUNTY, LIBERIA — Young leaders from across Liberia are set to converge in Ganta City on September 21 for a national conference aimed at pressing for stronger youth leadership and concrete action in implementing Liberia’s National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security.

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By Patience M. Jones,patiencejones@frontpageafricaonline.com

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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.

Funded by the European Union and co-funded by the Embassy of Ireland, the PeaceGen Project seeks to strengthen the meaningful participation and leadership of women and young people in peacebuilding, transitional justice, memorialization and accountability processes across 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,” said Zoltan Szalai, Chargé d’Affaires of the European Union Delegation to Liberia.

Szalai said the conference could help translate Liberia’s National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security into tangible results, particularly for communities in rural and conflict-affected areas.

For the first time, the conference will be held in Nimba County, bringing 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.

The conference will also examine mechanisms for measuring, documenting and demonstrating the impact of youth participation in peacebuilding and decision-making processes.

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.

“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,” Targbeh said.

She added that Nimba’s history provides an important backdrop for discussions about Liberia’s peacebuilding future.

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.

“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,” Bility said.

He emphasized the need for young people to be empowered to take ownership of the implementation process, arguing that the YPS agenda should produce measurable impact beyond policy documents.

“There is nothing for youth without youth,” Bility said.

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.

“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,” Yango said.

She 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 conference is being organized in collaboration with PeaceGen Liberia partners, including the National Young Women Political Council of Liberia, Liberia Coalition on Youth, Peace and Security, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, and Liberia Peacebuilding Office.

As Liberia continues to advance its commitments under the global Youth, Peace and Security agenda, organizers say the conference will provide a platform for young people and stakeholders to strengthen collaboration around reconciliation, conflict prevention, social cohesion and sustainable development.

PeaceGen Project

The PeaceGen Project runs until January 14, 2029, with funding from the European Union and co-funding from the Embassy of Ireland in Liberia. It is implemented by the Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation in partnership with national organizations.

The project focuses on capacity strengthening, dialogue, advocacy, community engagement and awareness initiatives aimed at increasing women’s and youth participation in peacebuilding, promoting awareness of transitional justice and memorialization, and supporting inclusive approaches to reconciliation, accountability and sustainable peace in Liberia.