PM Says Voices of Young People Must Be Heard
By: , July 7, 2025
Photo: Adrian Walker
Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (left), greets Prime Minister of Barbados, Hon. Mia Mottley, at Sunday’s (July 6) opening ceremony of the 49th Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM, currently in progress at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in Rose Hall, St. James.The Full Story
Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says the voices of young people must be heard when decisions are being taken that will determine the future of the Caribbean region.
“Youth across the region have thoughts and ideas about what we are trying to put in place for them and future generations,” said Dr. Holness.
The Prime Minister was addressing Sunday’s (July 6) opening ceremony of the 49th Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM, currently under way at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in Rose Hall, St. James.
Dr. Holness, who is the Chairman of CARICOM, indicated that the region’s youth possess valuable insights and innovative ideas that must be incorporated into policymaking.
Moreover, with technology and social media playing an increasingly dominant role in society, young people are poised to be the drivers of such advancement, said the Prime Minister.
They are also the primary consumers of digital innovations, including artificial intelligence (AI), he added.
“Let this meeting send a clear signal that we believe in our youth [and] it is important that we engage them in a deliberate, sustained and meaningful way,” Dr. Holness emphasised.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister noted concerns over the erosion of Caribbean cultural identity due to rapid technological and social changes.
In fact, he commended Prime Minister of Barbados, Hon. Mia Mottley, for publicly addressing the issue, noting that regional leaders have held internal discussions on how external influences are reshaping Caribbean societies, often with negative consequences.
Dr. Holness warned that without careful intervention, the essence of Caribbean civilisation could be lost.
“So, as we talk about our youth, we must include them in a discussion about how we preserve our culture, our values, our morals, how we preserve the Caribbean people,” he said.
The 49th CARICOM Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government is being held in Jamaica from July 6 to 8.
Pressing regional issues to be discussed include food and nutrition security, climate change, the crisis in Haiti, and regional security.
Additional priorities, such as digital resilience, telecommunications, transport, industrial growth, and the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), will also be discussed.