(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) His Excellency Edwin Carrington, CARICOM Secretary-General told Heads of Government, Heads of delegation and youth leaders attending the Special Summit on Youth Development in Paramaribo, Suriname, on Friday that the social crises faced by youth within the Caribbean Community demanded decisive and urgent action.

The Summit was convened to receive and discuss the findings and recommendations contained in what had been described as a “watershed report,” of the CARICOM Commission on Youth Development (CCYD) on the situation of youth across the region.

Secretary-General Carrington enumerated the successes and invaluable contribution of youth to regional development, citing as example, the pivotal role of the CARICOM Youth Ambassadors (CYA) in the fight against HIV and AIDs. However, he lamented that the Commission’s Report showed that despite those successes, there was still cause for grave concern: “When for example youth could perceive a future as ‘we either in jail or dead, we have no employment and no hope’ or when our youth could describe the CSME as ‘only for those with money or degrees,’ we need to ask the question why?”

Acknowledging that the issues contained in the Report were not necessarily new, Mr. Carrington suggested that their solutions might very well lay in the recommendations of the Report, which calls for greater involvement of youth in the decision-making processes of the Community; greater opportunities for fashioning their entrepreneurial skills and greater attention to revamping policies and programmes of relevance to youth.

The CARICOM Secretary-General also pointed to the need for addressing the imperative of relevance in the education system. These protective factors, in addition to other recommendations contained in the Report, he stated, would help to “foster the vibrancy of current and future leaders of this unique region,” which would redound to the development of the Community.

Commenting on the aptness of the Summit’s theme – YOUTH NOW for the Community Tomorrow – the CARICOM Secretary-General emphasized that while youth had the right to demand changes in the institutions and procedures of their societies to advance their individual and collective interests, those rights came with responsibility – a responsibility to ensuring that youth were among the main builders and contributors in the Community.

Echoing the sentiments of the Secretary-General, the Hon Roosevelt Skerrit, CARICOM Chairman pledged the Conference’s endorsement of the Report and challenged the youth to avail themselves when the opportunity for greater involvement was extended to them. Noting that for any partnership to work, each partner had to ‘pull his weight,’ he charged the young people to be reasoned and responsible in their call for participation.

Adding his voice, His Excellency Runaldo Venetiaan, Lead Head of Government with responsibility for Youth affirmed that the continued development of the region was inextricably linked with youth development and pledged his continued support to the well-being and development of youth in the Region.

Accepting the charge, Dean of the CYA programme, Monelle Alexis said, Young people were committed to nation-building and would continue to use their “God-given creative talent to make our region and world a better place.”

The Summit continues on Saturday, when the CARICOM Commission on Youth Development formerly submits its Report titled - Eye on the Future: Invest in YOUTH NOW for the Community Tomorrow - to the Heads of Government for deliberations and subsequent action.

The work of the Commission was supported by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Government of Spain, the Government of Italy and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and the Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP).

CONTACT: piu@caricom.org