The organisation is non-political, non-religious and non-governmental and welcomes youth membership regardless of gender, colour, ethnicity, social class, religion, sexual orientation or any other status.
An important focus of UNOY’s peacebuilding activities has been on Eastern Europe (Russia, Belarus, Caucasus, Ukraine), Africa and Latin America.
The young participants then recognised a unique peacebuilding role for UNOY and suggested that it adopt the following objectives: - to provide youth NGO leadership training in the field of non-violent conflict resolution and reconciliation; - to organise conferences and cross-conflict working groups for representatives of youth peace organisations, networks, and initiatives; - to develop a global peacebuilding, reconciliation and solidarity network focusing on youth Following these recommendations, UNOY successfully organised three major regional peacebuilding conferences and training seminars for the Caucasus and Crimea, and the UNOY Global Youth Peace Conference (GYPC) which took place in May 1999 in the Netherlands.
In addition to this event, UNOY created a global network designed to interconnect a vast range of young peacebuilders and activists.
As a result, the African Network of Young Peacebuilders (ANYP) was created, setting up working groups and starting the organising of regional and national activities.
Since 1999, UNOY has organised the annual African Students Conference (ASC) at the Institute of Social Studies (ISS) in The Hague, Netherlands.
Throughout the year, UNOY took part in coordinating the Civil Society Report on the International Decade for a Culture of Peace.