The Palestinian youth (18-29 years.) amount to 1.2 million in Palestine, out of which half are young men, making them a fundamental pillar in any future development or national crisis response. This and more were discussed at a roundtable titled “Supporting Men and Boys. Building Safer, Stronger Communities”, marked International Men’s Day 2025, at EUPOL COPPS headquarters, on 19 November, in Ramallah.

The event addressed the importance of men and boys contributing to peacebuilding in Palestine and beyond, discussing topics including boys’ and men’s role in peace, security and justice, Community Policing as a trust-building tool and reframing youth engagement as a source of resilience rather than risk.

The meeting brought together Palestinian representatives of Civil Society Organisations including “Reform” and “Sharek”, senior police officers from Community Policing and Media Administration and EUPOL COPPS staff members joined the discussions.

The attendees talked about the importance of preventing violence and building trust by creating real connections between young people, local communities, and the law enforcement side.

Asked about how young men in Palestine can play a more active role in advancing peace, security and justice through their engagement with the police and justice sector, a representative of the Palestinian Civil Police detailed on outreach and training at local community councils’ level, awareness campaigns for youth in schools  and universities, including-on  anti-narcotic and cyber crime.  This is done mainly though social media.

EUPOL COPPS’s Head of Mission, Karin Limdal, who opened the roundtable, asked some of the Mission’s staff to share their experience on how to tackle situations polarizing youth in their home countries. Examples from Spain were shared, highlighting situations influenced by unemployment, cybercrime and narcotics, and how the Spanish police engage in schools and universities. Another example from France focused on the issue of domestic violence.

A rampant youth unemployment in the West Bank affects 38% of young men. Considering economic vulnerabilities, political instability and insecurity, discussing how can youth engagement help shift a polarized dynamic of mistrust to collaboration and shared responsibility between the State and its communities seemed of relevance on International Men’s Day.

EUPOL COPPS is committed to support Palestinian people in the framework of the EU engagement for a two-state solution.