Input for the UNGA 81st Thematic Report: “Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association Youth Activism Report: Gen-Z Activism and the Future of Civic Space”

Wars have become one of the defining characteristics of our era. In our region, they have been so for decades. Given our long “experience” of living through them as victims, it may be time to reflect on the interaction —the mutually shaping relationship —between the external and international dimensions and objectives of these wars, on the one hand, and the internal dimensions and objectives tied to the political struggle for power within the states involved in them, on the other.

Youth in the Arab region represent a promising force with unique potential to contribute to addressing the structural and systemic challenges facing the region. Realizing this potential requires adopting an approach that moves beyond viewing young people merely as a demographic group and instead creates meaningful opportunities designed with them and for them to shape the future they aspire to build. The urgency of such an approach is further underscored by the fact that the Arab region is home to one of the youngest populations in the world, with youth accounting for nearly one-third of its population.

Despite the intergenerational challenges they face, including growing inequalities, social and economic injustices resulting from prevailing economic policies, the impacts of climate change, and various forms of exclusion, young people continue to demonstrate resilience, creativity, and a strong commitment to positive change. Empowering them as active partners in decision-making and development processes is essential for fostering more inclusive, just, and sustainable societies. Recognizing this, the 2030 Agenda highlights youth as key drivers of change, emphasizing in paragraph 53 that “The future of humanity and of our planet lies in our hands. It also lies in the hands of today’s younger generation, who will pass the torch to future generations”.

The Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND) and the Arab Youth Network (AYN) work closely with young civil society representatives in the region to ensure their effective engagement in rights-based advocacy. It is crucial that their role moves beyond mere consultation and symbolic participation, toward being meaningfully informed through capacity building, actively monitoring and researching the policy processes they engage in through transformative advocacy.

ANND and AYN believe that this requires initially acknowledging the role of young people and strengthening it through an enabling environment, relevant tools, and appropriate mechanisms, including safe spaces for constructive dialogue and exchange to elaborate ideas, plans, and strategies. In many parts of the Arab world, youth face significant barriers to accessing education, employment, and political spaces, all of which limit their ability to meaningfully participate in policy-making. As a result, many young people increasingly rely on civic engagement, grassroots initiatives, social movements, and public demonstrations as avenues through which they can make their voices heard, advance their demands, and contribute to public affairs. Yet these forms of participation are often constrained by restrictions on freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association, limitations on civil society organizations, digital surveillance, online censorship, and other measures that restrict civic space. Without specific strategies or institutional frameworks to dismantle these barriers, commitments undertaken within Agenda 2030 or by national plans risk remaining purely symbolic.

This submission is prepared by ANND and AYN to shed light on youth activists’ perceptions of the situation of freedom of peaceful assembly and association in the Arab region, as an input for the UNGA 81st Thematic Report. The responses below address a selected set of questions explored in the context of youth activism and civic participation in the Arab region.