Author: Patryk Litwiński, Maciej Dachowski, Hanna Miśniakiewicz, Julia Oleszyńska

Europe’s security environment is undergoing a profound transformation. The Russian aggression against Ukraine—ongoing since February 2022—escalating hybrid threats, and systematic disinformation operations targeting Western societies mean that national security increasingly depends on societal resilience and the ability to recognize informational manipulation. According to data from the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO), the number of children exposed to active armed conflict reached a record level of 520 million in 2024. In Poland, nearly 970,000 Ukrainian citizens have been granted temporary protection; 37% of them are minors. Simultaneously, 44% of Polish teenagers report difficulties in distinguishing true information from false in the digital space, and in 2024 alone, as many as 33 foreign disinformation operations targeting Polish public opinion were uncovered, many of which aimed directly at young voters.

The Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS) agenda, established by UN Security Council Resolution 2250 in 2015, serves as the international standard for including the younger generation as an active actor in the security architecture. The practical instrument for its implementation is the National Action Plan (NAP), which allows for the coordination of efforts between public administration, expert communities, and civil society around shared strategic goals.

The Policy brief is available in Polish.