Across the world, young people are leading initiatives that promote dialogue, social cohesion and sustainable development in their communities, as recognised by the United Nations Youth, Peace and Security Agenda. Many of these efforts take place in contexts marked by fragility, conflict and violence. According to a UNDP report, over 600 million young people live in areas affected by conflict or organised violence.  

Through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) frameworks, businesses and investors are at the same time exploring new ways to create positive social impact. Yet, many businesses, corporations and investors face challenges engaging in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. Perceived risks and limited understanding of local dynamics can make it difficult to identify opportunities for responsible engagement. Young people can play an important role in helping private-sector actors better understand these contexts, identify opportunities and adopt more conflict-sensitive approaches. This presents an opportunity to generate both peace-positive impact and sustainable business value.

Investing and Partnering with Youth for Peace (IPYP) was created to help bridge this gap. Launched in 2023 by the Global Coalition on Youth, Peace and Security Financing Taskforce and hosted by the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation, IPYP brings together young peacebuilders, businesses, investors, governments and development actors to foster exchange, learning and partnership-building. Through this work, IPYP seeks to strengthen responsible private sector engagement and mobilise new resources for youth-led peacebuilding.