10 Years of YPS Agenda in South Asia: Unmasking Deficits
This thematic paper critically evaluates a decade of the Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS) agenda under UNSCR 2250 across the eight nations of South Asia. Synthesizing findings from the YPS Monitor’s Policy & Implementation Audit and the 2026 YPS Index, the publication exposes a profound regional governance paradox: despite acute structural vulnerabilities and high priority rankings, zero out of eight South Asian nations have adopted an official YPS National Action Plan or Policy. By unmasking institutional apathy, international neglect, and the operational exhaustion of unfunded youth-led coalitions, the paper outlines actionable pathways to institutionalize youth-inclusive peacebuilding governance over the coming decade.
Published in September 2026
Beyond Symbolic Participation: Deliberative Technology for Youth-Inclusive Policy Development and Governance
This thematic paper explores deliberative technology as essential Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for youth-inclusive policy-making and implementing several pillars of the YPS agenda, including inclusive design, monitoring, and participatory evaluation of coalitions, National Action Plans (NAPs), and programs. By addressing the systemic mistrust driven by opaque, top-down decision-making and the limitations of conventional digital consultation tools, such as fixed surveys or simple majority voting, this research presents delib-tech as a critical instrument for large-scale listening and enhanced transparency.
Published in March 2026
YPS Regionalisation: Mapping Existing Constellations
This collaborative study examines how the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agenda has been regionalised across Africa, Asia-Pacific, the Americas, Europe, and the MENA region. It maps key milestones, identifies gaps, and draws lessons from diverse regional journeys, highlighting regionalisation as a critical bridge between global frameworks and national action. The study was led by Lani Anaya Jiménez and Mridul Upadhyay, with contributions from members of the GCYPS Regionalisation Working Group and other experts and young peacebuilders.
Published in December 2025
Assessing Youth Participation in Implementation of the YPS Agenda
This policy brief was developed by Mridul Upadhyay and published by Interpeace in April 2022. Drawing on available data and interviews with youth peacebuilders from six country cases (Philippines, Jordan, Finland, Sri Lanka, Nigeria and the United States), assesses youth participation in the relatively early national implementation phases of the Global YPS agenda. The brief addresses the role of young women and men in the design, implementation, and evaluation of national action plans and national YPS coalitions, and provides insight and analysis on participation, leadership, and ownership of young people in YPS implementation efforts. The brief notes that the efforts to include young people in the development of a YPS policy have not translated into meaningful and comprehensive youth involvement in the implementation of YPS policy at the national level and includes recommendations for correcting an imbalance which threatens to undermine the core objectives of the YPS agenda.
Published in April 2022