ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan

Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs Felipe Paullier visited UNRCCA premises and met with the Deputy Head of the Centre and the Preventive Diplomacy Academy (PDA) team. He was informed about the Centre’s mandate and activities in Central Asia touching upon the main pillars of peace and security, such as counter-terrorism, transboundary water issues and climate, as well as Women, Peace and Security agenda.

In addition, ASG Paullier met with the 2025 Cohort and Alumni Network of the UNRCCA PDA in a hybrid session focused on advancing the Youth, Peace, and Security agenda and fostering youth leadership in conflict prevention. Turkmen PDA participants attended the event in person while representatives from other Central Asian states and Afghanistan joined online.

Topics such as cultural sensitivity, leadership skills, and the role of social media in advocacy were discussed, focusing on regional challenges like border security, political stability, and youth unemployment. The importance of youth as co-creators of security and peace was underscored, encouraging young people to lead community dialogues, counter misinformation, and advocate for inclusive policies.

“The voices and creativity of the world’s 1.9 billion young people are critical to building sustainable peace,” said ASG Paullier. “Through platforms like the UNRCCA Preventive Diplomacy Academy, we are nurturing the next generation of leaders to drive peace, human rights, and development in Central Asia and beyond.”