Global Community Peace Network initiative in partnership with The United Nation Major Group for Children and Youth, on the 26th of April, 2018, held a one day Adolescent and Youth Consultation on the theme- “Development of the Guidelines for Working With and For Young People In Humanitarian Settings”. This consultation was attended by adolescents and youth representatives from different spheres and organizations across Nigeria. The consultation seeks to gather inputs from adolescents and youth from around the world, to form part of the guidelines as what and how young people think they should be meaningfully engaged in the humanitarian programming and responses.The consultation is in partnership with UNICEF and the Norwegian Refugee Council and its aimed at ensuring young people have the opportunity to share their opinions on the draft guidelines currently under development.Aim The aim of the consultation was to Meaningful engage adolescents and youths in Nigeria and to seek their inputs via meaningful participation so as to incorporate their views which will be feed into the guidelines to be developed for a meaningful engagement of youth in humanitarian action. Objectives is to expose youths organizations, government and civil societies to UN MGCY processes to gather perspectives from adolescents and youths in Nigeria as a formal input into the guidelines.Methodology Opening Ceremony,the consultation started with registration of participants at the registration stand and then introduction of participants and their representing organizations. Next was a Brief welcome note by Queen Ehirim, Regional Focal Point For West and Central Africa humanitarian affairs working group on what the UNMGCY is all about and a brief overview of the what the guidelines for development of guidelines for programming with, and for young people in humanitarian settings including some general principles in achieving this guidelines during the consultations.Mrs Zainab Yusu Director of Corporate Affairs and Programes spoke on the need to partner with with people in achieving any sets goals that will drive the development of the nation forward hence the need for the commission to release the auditorium hall for the consultation and encourage adolescents and youths to always be a voice in matters of both national and international policy decisions.Aboki Kanadi, a resident of Borno –Maiduguri, gave first hand witness of how humanitarian actions are needed in North East because of the current insurgency and emphasized the very critical role adolescents should play not just in formulating the guidelines but also in implementing them making mention that adolescent and youths bare the biggest humanitarian challenges.
