In January 2026, our Executive Director, Yosuke Nagai, published an Independent Thematic Paper on the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agenda, titled “The Missing Pillar: Re-centering Disengagement and Reintegration in the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda for a More Innovative Approach to Sustaining Peace.”

Independent Thematic Papers will deepen understanding of the positive and critical roles that young people play in peace processes and conflict resolution, and will inform the Second Independent Progress Study on Youth, Peace and Security. The Second Independent Progress Study was requested under the Pact for the Future, a comprehensive international agreement adopted at the United Nations Summit of the Future in September 2024, which establishes collective commitments to address global issues. The findings of the study are scheduled to be presented to the UN General Assembly in September 2026.

In his paper, Dr. Nagai examines key challenges in the implementation of the YPS agenda, with particular attention to the missing pillar of “Disengagement and Reintegration,” which has remained absent or marginalized within YPS frameworks. The paper also analyzes structural challenges in YPS implementation by comparing it with the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda. Focusing on Youth Associated with Non-State Armed Groups (YANSAG), the paper argues for the urgent need to redefine Disengagement and Reintegration as “agents-of-peace pathways,” highlighting the importance of recognizing and supporting the potential of YANSAG as agents of peace towards sustaining peace.

Accept International has long directly engaged with YANSAG, who have often been overlooked and left behind, through both field activities and global advocacy efforts aimed at establishing international norms that ensure their rights and empowerment.

Moving forward, we will continue to engage with the international community and advance efforts towards establishing international norms on YANSAG.

Read the thematic paper here