At UNODC, we are committed to working alongside young people to co-design and implement youth-led action for a safer world, free from terrorism and violence.
The Youth-Led Action initiative seeks to empower youth leaders and youth-led organisations to prevent and respond to terrorism and violent extremism across communities globally. This programme recognises that young people are often in the best position to envision and realise the change needed in their communities, given that they are often also the most affected.
Grounded in evidence-based strategies and aligned with UN standards on crime prevention, the initiative directly supports the UNODC Global Programme on Preventing and Countering Terrorism. By promoting inclusive, partnership-based, gender-responsive, and youth-empowering prevention measures, the initiative strengthens resilience to violent extremism at all levels.
The Youth-Led Action initiative is designed to equip youth leaders and youth-led organisations with the resources and support they need to address violent extremism from the ground up. To foster an inclusive and participatory approach, the initiative was developed through extensive consultation with youth-focused civil society organisations (CSOs), to provide a platform for young people to actively participate in shaping and implementing PVE strategies.
Another objective of this initiative will be to provide direct support to youth-led organisations by providing grants for grassroots youth-led organisations working on preventing violent extremism and terrorism. The aim is to give them the means to respond in a tailored way to local challenges, with the support of UNODC.
The programme invites youth-led and youth-focused organisations to play an active role in designing and leading actions that make communities and countries safer from terrorism and violence. Organisations can register on WhatsOn, UNODC multistakeholder database, to become members of our global network.
To register, Youth-led organisations must be legally registered, with a demonstrated mandate and experience in preventing and countering terrorism and violent extremism. Participation from anywhere in the world where there is a need for increased safety and security is welcomed.
To register on WhatsOn, please select the tags #Youth-led/youth-focused and #PVE/Terrorism Prevention.
WhatsOn is UNODC’s multi-stakeholder platform designed to bring together relevant stakeholders in the fight against transnational organized crime and corruption, including non-governmental organizations, academia and the private sector.
The Youth Board (2024-2025) is composed of eight young leaders, who represent diverse geographical and academic backgrounds. These young leaders play a pivotal role in guiding the initiative, ensuring that youth perspectives are central to the design and implementation of PVE strategies.
In addition to the global network, the initiative will also create regional hubs to facilitate exchanges between youth-led organisations and national authorities in geographic areas facing similar PVE and CT threats.
In November 2024, UNODC, in collaboration with Southeast Asia Regional Centre for Counter-Terrorism (SEARCCT), hosted the First Regional Meeting of the UNODC Youth-led Action to Prevent Terrorism and Violent Extremism in South-East Asia in Putrajaya, Malaysia. The event gathered over 30 youth leaders from Southeast Asia and from the Youth-led Board to explore strategies for preventing violent extremism, with a particular focus on online spaces.
This meeting facilitated exchange and capacity-building in South-East Asia, providing participants with the tools to design and implement PVE projects, foster partnerships, and engage with thematic experts. However, the event also created an important opportunity for youth to share their experiences with the impact of violent extremism, present their initiatives, and offer their perspectives on prevention efforts.
A key highlight of the event was a collaborative arts activity in which youth leaders worked together to create the mural showcase below, symbolising unity, solidarity, and resilience against violent extremism.
To learn more about the meeting directly from the youth participants, you can watch this video: LINK TO THE VIDEO
The Youth-Led Action initiative is part of the global Youth Empowerment Accelerator (YEA!) Framework, which enhances youth involvement across all stages of UNODC’s programming. Aligned with the UN’s Youth 2030 Strategy and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the YEA! Framework ensures meaningful youth participation by creating platforms for engagement and partnerships across various sectors and stakeholders.
