General Assembly
High-level Forum on the Culture of Peace 2025
2 September 2025
Roadmap
Video Length: 03:09:35
Held pursuant to General Assembly resolution A/RES/78/277 of 2 May 2024
High-Level Forum on the Culture of Peace 2025: Empowering Youth for a Peaceful World
On September 2, 2025, a gathering of global significance took place inside the storied Chambers of the United Nations: the High-level Forum on the Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace, convened under the theme “Empowering Youth for a Culture of Peace.” This was more than a meeting—it was a call to action, a collective moment to center the energy, creativity, and leadership of young people in shaping a more peaceful world.
The Forum followed a format designed to amplify high-level engagement and inclusive dialogue, beginning with an opening segment, continuing through a plenary discussion, and embracing the voices of youth through both formal statements and interactive exchange. Delegations from around the world took the podium, affirming their commitments and submitting statements both live and via the UN’s eStatements platform.
Picture the Trusteeship Council Chamber, where political leaders, youth advocates, educators, and peacebuilders honored the legacy of the 1999 Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace—and refocused it through the lens of today’s generation. As speakers took to the floor, their words underlined a shared conviction: sustainable peace must be built by empowering youth and weaving their voices into social, civic, and cultural narratives.
For young people everywhere, the message was clear: this is your moment. Whether through storytelling, digital creativity, grassroots organizing, or cultural innovation, youth are at the heart of peace itself. And for the global community, the Forum was a reminder: peace is both a responsibility and a promise—a promise that begins when young people are invited to lead.