Juba, 28 November 2025
We, the youth of South Sudan representing Central Equatoria State (Juba), Western Bahr El Ghazal (Wau, Jur River, and Raja), Western Equatoria State (Yambio), and Jonglei State, gathered at the Regency Hotel in Juba from 27–28 November 2025 for the Inclusive Youth Forum. The forum was organized by the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) Network under the Inclusive Governance for Peace Project, supported by the UN Peacebuilding Fund. It provided a platform for us to define our priorities, amplify our voices, and strengthen our participation in governance, leadership, and peacebuilding across the country. The Forum brought together 55 young women and men from diverse backgrounds to share experiences, identify challenges, build alliances, and co-create youth-led advocacy strategies.
Despite immense social, economic, and political obstacles, young people continue to contribute meaningfully to the development, stability, and hope of our communities. High unemployment, limited livelihood opportunities, restricted access to quality education and vocational training, and continued exclusion from decision-making remain significant barriers. Young women face gender-based discrimination, early and forced marriage, limited mobility, insecurity in public spaces, sexual harassment, and low representation in leadership. Young people continue to face forced recruitment, insecurity, forced disappearance, displacement, pressure to join armed groups, and emotional and economic violence across the country. Youth with disabilities experience compounded discrimination, stigma, and limited access to essential services.
Yet, even amidst these intersecting challenges, youth remain resilient and committed to shaping a peaceful, inclusive, and prosperous future.
Across the states, young people are demonstrating leadership and agency. In Wau, youth have established community-based initiatives supporting peacebuilding, environmental conservation, and social mobilization. In Juba, young people are championing civic engagement, inclusive governance, and peace through media discussions, debates, university dialogues, and community outreach. In Yambio, youth are driving entrepreneurship programs, civic education, and social cohesion activities. In Jonglei, young people continue to advocate for institutionalized representation at the state and county levels. Across all regions, young women, young men, and youth with disabilities are leading awareness campaigns on health, human rights, education, and cultural preservation.
These efforts reaffirm that young people are at the heart of peacebuilding, inclusive governance, and national development in South Sudan.
We acknowledge the existing national legal frameworks intended to support youth participation, including the Youth Charter 2025, the National Youth Development Policy, and the South Sudan National Youth/Women, Peace and Security Framework. However, these frameworks require urgent implementation, stronger political will, and greater investment to ensure that youth voices are fully included and not sidelined at any level of decision-making.
As youth leaders, we call upon the Government of South Sudan, civil society organizations, UN agencies, INGOs, local authorities, private sector leaders, traditional authorities, and community structures to take the following actions:
Key Calls for Action
- Strengthen and Implement Youth Policy Frameworks.
Fast-track the adoption and implementation of the National Youth Development Policy, the Women and Youth Enterprise Development Fund Bill, the Student Support/Welfare Fund Bill, and the National Youth and Sports Bill as outlined in the Revitalized Agreement (R-ARCSS). - Expedite the Passing of Pending Bills.
Prioritize the enactment of the Family Law Bill, the Anti-GBV legislation, and the National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security. - Promote Inclusive Governance.
Appoint qualified young women and men, including youth with disabilities, to leadership positions within ministries, commissions, and county and state structures; and institutionalize youth representation at all levels of government and peace processes. - Invest in Youth Empowerment.
Provide flexible and transparent grants to youth-led, women-led, and community-based organizations; expand gender-responsive economic opportunities for young women, including access to finance, markets, and safe workspaces; and scale up youth-focused vocational training, digital literacy, agricultural support, creative industries, and entrepreneurship programs. - Protect the Rights of Youth and Children.
Prevent early and forced child marriage, strengthen reporting pathways, and expand protection services for survivors. End forced recruitment into armed groups and provide reintegration and psychosocial support for affected boys and girls. Improve access to justice, human rights education, and community safety mechanisms. - Promote Peace and Stop Armed Violence.
Expand community disarmament programs, ensuring safe, voluntary, and dignified processes with economic alternatives for affected youth. - Expand Education and Leadership Opportunities.
Promote access to free and quality education for all young people, with scholarship opportunities for girls, youth with disabilities, and marginalized groups. Establish mentorship programs and leadership pathways for young women and young men.
