Youth critical to moving CSME forward – CSME director

Recognising the important role youths play in society, Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) Director, Leo Preville highlighted that youths will play a crucial role in the development of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).
The director championed the integral role of youths in the CSME during the launch of the Caricom Youth Ambassadors-CSME Attachment Programme at the Caricom Secretariat Headquarters in Georgetown, Guyana. He noted that the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) is working towards building a region that is focused on development. On this point the director noted that the CARICOM Youth Ambassadors are key stakeholders in the region’s development.
“We need to solicit the stakeholders who are critical to not just the present but also the future of this integration movement and therefore focusing on youth and in this case the Caricom Youth Ambassadors is a critical step to treat present issues and future issues” he asserted.

He further noted that the demographic of the region consists of a fairly young population. In this regard Preville underscored that the Ambassadors will be used to educate and speak with youths in the Caribbean in a language that they can identify with.
“Most importantly they are the advocates, they can play this advocacy role in ensuring that the messaging on the CSME reaches their generation so advocacy is critical” he stated.

The CSME Director challenged the Youth Ambassadors to utilise their roles and platforms to educate other Caribbean youths about the CSME. “You are the future of the Region and the ones best placed to reach the youths of your countries and communicate what is at stake with the integration project,” he stated.
“This attachment programme is meant to deepen your understanding of the CSME and place you in a position to become advocates of the integration project. But more importantly, it is meant to build a network of like-minded young people. It is meant to drive home the message that we must work together on this development journey. The traditional factors that drove a sense of unity as one people are waning. We need to employ the logic of economics and create a sense of shared vision to weather the storms ahead.”
18 Caricom Youth Ambassadors (CYAs) are participating in the programme from nine Caricom Member States: Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.
During the week-long programme, the Caricom Youth Ambassadors (CYAs) will engage in dialogue and panel discussions and participate in field tours designed to equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills about the CSME to educate young people in their Member States. Some of the activities are a discussion on the role of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) in CSME, a visit to the Guyana Free Movement Committee and the Central Bank of Guyana for a discussion on the free movement of capital, and an engagement with Dr. Carla Barnett, Secretary-General of Caricom.
In addition, CYAs will visit the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Customs and Port Authority and interact with technical experts on CSME-related topics, including coordinating CARICOM’s external trade policy, leveraging our Caribbean Culture for regional development, global impact, innovation and technology within the CSME.
The CARICOM Youth Ambassador Programme was launched in St. Lucia in 1993 by the Heads of Government to mark the Twentieth Anniversary of CARICOM and was formally instituted in 1994. Since its inception, the Youth Ambassador Programme has contributed to increased youth knowledge and awareness of CARICOM issues and priorities. It has raised the profile of young people at the national and regional levels; and has assisted in integrating the views and perspectives of young people from across the Region into national, regional and international policy and programmes.
These goals serve as a guideline for developing appropriate programme interventions and resource allocations, both at the regional and national level. Goals and targets should be reviewed from time to time to ensure they adequately and effectively respond to the needs and challenges of target populations. Importantly, while achieving the goals and targets of the CYAP, CYAs can help young people achieve their goals through matching the programmes implemented and the policies with their needs.