New UN Youth Advisory Group Member Believes Young People Must Be Involved In Decision Making

Newly appointed member of the Youth Advisory Group for the United Nations in Jamaica, Laurel Williams, believes that youth engagement at every level is crucial for creating meaningful, lasting impact that drives transformative change and empowers future generations.

Her belief is inspired by the powerful quote, ‘Be the Change that You Wish to See in the World’,

In a recent interview with JIS News, Miss Williams, who is also President of the National Secondary Students’ Council (NSSC), is hopeful that the voices of more young people will be incorporated and actioned in the decision-making process.

“I think the main one is really to see youth engagement at the forefront where it is not something that is optional but it is something that is a necessity, where we’re not just at the consultation process but we are there from the very inception, the genesis of it all where they’re at the table. Our seat is not something that is optional, but is there, it is present and our voices are not just heard but they are actioned,” she said, in response to being asked about some of the changes she wants to see effected.

Miss Williams explained that her mission to create meaningful change was amplified when she joined the United Nations Club at Glenmuir High School but pointed out that the concept of change was introduced to her while she was much younger.

“I believe my journey, as it relates to the United Nations, began when I watched this movie where the central message was, ‘we must be the change that we want to see’, and I watched that movie when I was very young, so I didn’t think that I, as a young little girl, could ever actually make a real change,” she said.

“However, when I joined the United Nations Club at my school, I went on to attend international model United Nations conferences in New York, and I believe that’s where my passion for the United Nations really grew, because I was surrounded by like-minded individuals who really wanted to see a change in this world,” Miss Williams added.

She noted that these interactions allowed them to brainstorm ideas on a global and national level.

“We spoke about global issues, and we were actually coming up with recommendations to create real change within our various countries,” she shared with JIS News.

Miss Williams explained that her involvement as a member of the advisory group will enable her to create change in her country.

“When the application for the United Nations Youth Advisory Group for Jamaica came along, I was so motivated to do this because now I was able to actually be the change and create the change I wanted to see within Jamaica, and I think that is so important to me because we are not just leaders of tomorrow but the leaders and change-makers of today. Change begins with us, and so it’s just for us to step into it and to do that which we must to create the Jamaica that we want to see, we want to live in and that we are proud to call our home,” she told JIS News.

Miss Williams is among 15 outstanding young persons who have been selected to serve as members of the Youth Advisory Group for the United Nations in Jamaica. The other members are Ashley Onfroy, Claudia Campbell, Denisher Barker, Jahnoy St. Jacques, Maria Greenland, Meron McPherson, Omar Bagnol, Onella Grant, Rajae Danvers, Ree-Anna Robinson, Saevion McFadden, Samaya Miller, Tamoy Campbell and Termario Daniels.

They recently received certificates symbolising their appointment to the UN Advisory Group in Jamaica during a ceremony at the Summit in St. Andrew.

UN Resident Coordinator, Dennis Zulu, expressed confidence that the establishment of the first ever UN Advisory Group in Jamaica will play a vital role in ensuring that youth perspectives are integrated into the work of the organisation.

“Already, our partner at the European Union delegation in Jamaica is impressed with your potential, and in the coming months will be exciting developments to share about the UN new partnerships around youth development,” he said.

“In September, the world launched the Pact for the Future, which is an agreement among member states of the United Nations that came together in New York to agree on how the world should progress in the future. This will be the blueprint for further action around supporting youth, so that the future that we desire can actually be achieved,” Mr. Zulu added.

He said the United Nations in Jamaica is committed to working alongside young people, listening to their ideas, supporting initiatives and providing platforms for their voices to be heard.

“Your role is critical to shaping the United Nations engagement in Jamaican youth,” he told members of the Advisory Group.

Highlighting the importance of youth engagement in the decision-making process, Minister of Education, Skills, Youth, and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, recently announced that more young persons will be appointed to Advisory Boards of agencies and departments within the Ministry, to enable them to have a greater role in the decision-making process.

“The Boards in the Ministry of Education need to have young people on them; your voices have to be there. Every Board that the Permanent Secretary has given to me, a young person will be appointed on there, because your voices are absolutely important,” she said, during the 15th sitting of the National Youth Parliament of Jamaica at Gordon House.

“We cannot be the Ministry of Youth, developing solutions for tomorrow and for today, and not have your voices, there and that’s a commitment that I again make to all of you,” she pledged.

The Youth Advisory Group aims to provide young leaders in Jamaica with another platform to play an active and leading role in the country’s sustainable development, working in close collaboration with the UN.

The initiative underscores the United Nations’ ongoing commitment to youth empowerment and its recognition of young people as key partners in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Jamaica and beyond.

It is aligned with the global UN Youth Strategy, Youth2030, which emphasises the importance of meaningful youth participation in all areas of UN work.