CARICOM emphasises success in youth development

The progress made by CARICOM in a number of areas focused on youth development has been highlighted the organisation’s assistant secretary-general.

The comments from Douglas Slater, who is in change of human and social development within the regional body, was speaking at the CARICOM Youth Ambassadors Orientation and Capacity Building Workshop, which ended yesterday.

One achievement he outlined was the endorsement of the Youth Development Action Plan by yough ministers in 2012.

The plan has six development goals at its centre, he said.

Douglas also boasted that 13 CARICOM member states now have national youth policies and youth councils or parliaments, and 17 members participate in the the Youth Ambassadors Programme.

‘Youth are leaders of the future – and today’

The workshop featured a number of representatives from Caribbean nations and international bodies.

Nicolette Henry, Guyana’s minister of education, culture, youth and sports, described young people as the backbone of the region.

The vision of the Caribbean lies in their hands, she added.

Dean of the CARICOM Youth Ambassador Corps, Charde Desir, said he hoped these workshops would be a regular occurrence.

And he added that youngsters are not just leaders for the future but the leaders of today, with many talents and skills that need to be utilised nationally and regionally.