The Somali Relief and Development Organization (SORDO), in partnership with the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change of Puntland State, the UNDP Rome Centre for Climate Action and Energy Transition, and the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security, is building a network of nine Youth-Led Climate Peace Councils across Bari, Nugaal and Mudug under the Somali Youth4Climate Eco-Peacebuilders Project.

Regional consultations, first. Between May and July 2026, SORDO convened a line-ministry consultation in Garowe (23–25 May), followed by three regional field consultations: Bari (7–11 June, in Qardho and Bosaso), Nugaal (24–28 June, in Garowe with a field mission to Burtinle), and Mudug (7–12 July, in Galkacyo). These sessions brought together regional governors, district mayors and commissioners, traditional elders, women's representatives and youth groups to map local climate-security priorities and agree the criteria for forming each council.

District and regional stakeholders in discussion during one of the three regional consultations.

Nine councils, built from the ground up. Selection of council members was carried out independently by district and regional authorities against transparent criteria shared by SORDO — covering age, residency, gender balance and the inclusion of displaced, returnee and host-community youth — with each council's composition submitted for formal endorsement by the Ministry of Youth & Sports. As of this update, five of the nine councils — Garowe, Bosaso, Qardho, Ufeyn and Galkacyo — have finalized, ministry-endorsed membership, accounting for 29 of the network's 45 seats. Lists for the remaining four councils — Eyl, Burtinle, Jariban and Galdogob — have been submitted by their respective district authorities and are pending formal endorsement, expected imminently.

First councils onboarded. On 26–27 July 2026, SORDO, the Ministry of Youth & Sports and the Ministry of Environment & Climate Change jointly delivered the network's first mobilization, onboarding and orientation session in Garowe, for initial representatives of the Garowe and Bosaso councils. Onboarding for the remaining seven councils will follow as their membership is confirmed.

Council representatives and facilitators during consultation and onboarding sessions in Garowe.

Looking ahead. As the network is completed over the coming weeks, councils will move into their core mandate: youth-led climate-security monitoring, community dialogue, and support to the peaceful reintegration of displaced and returnee youth. Later in 2026 and through mid-2027, the project will deliver six regional peace dialogues and reintegration campaigns reaching 300 young people (50% women), alongside the launch of three digital tools — the EcoPeace Watch App, a youth climate podcast, and the Youth4Climate Knowledge Portal — giving young Somalis a lasting platform for climate advocacy and peacebuilding beyond the current funding cycle.