Somalia Endorses $56 Million National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security

Somalia's Ministry of Youth and Sports said September 22, 2026 that youth-led organizations, civil society representatives and officials from the federal member states had completed validation of a $56 million National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security covering 2026-2030, following a conference in Mogadishu on September 21 that coincided with the International Day of Peace. Youth and Sports Minister Mohamed Abdulkadir Ali signed the plan's foreword with support from directors-general of Somalia's federal member states. The five-year framework is structured around six pillars — including youth participation in governance, protection, empowerment, conflict prevention, institutional partnerships and reintegration — and is intended to implement Somalia's commitments under UN Security Council resolutions on youth, peace and security alongside African Union and Arab League strategies. 'Somali youth are not merely beneficiaries of policy. They are partners, leaders and agents of change,' Ali said, describing the plan as an accountability framework linking youth empowerment with climate security. The ministry said it would incorporate stakeholder recommendations into the final document and seek financing through the Youth, Peace and Security Basket Fund and other mechanisms; no official launch date has been announced.