Youth Ambassadors Call on CARICOM Heads to Address Key Issues Affecting Young People

Jamaica’s CARICOM Youth Ambassadors, Christal Parris-Campbell and Odane Brooks, have called on regional leaders to take decisive action to address key issues affecting the youth of the Caribbean.

The Ambassadors gave the charge during the opening ceremony of the 49th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM, at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St. James, on July 6.

Ms. Parris-Campbell said the theme of the meeting, ‘People, Partnerships and Prosperity: Promoting a Secure and Sustainable Future’, reflected the shared aspirations of Caribbean youth.

“For young people across the Caribbean, we hope that our societies can be safe, innovative and resilient in the face of unprecedented change,” she said.

Ms. Parris-Campbell highlighted the region’s development in culture, education, and infrastructure but also noted that youth now view security through a broader lens.

“For our youth, the concept of security has transcended beyond policing and now encapsulates a strong point of reference to the creation of pathways to decent work and the building of trust between citizens and public authorities,” she said.

Ms. Parris-Campbell emphasised the importance of security cooperation across borders.

“Strengthening border security through bilateral partnerships with our international counterparts must remain our top priority in order to halt the flow of illicit weapons and narcotics within the region,” she said.

“A secure Caribbean demands deeper cooperation, better intelligence sharing, and modern tools that balance protection with prevention,” she added.

For his part, Mr. Brooks focused on the pressing issue of climate change and the role of economic integration in youth development.

“Climate change is reshaping our economies and daily lives. Hurricane Beryl greatly impacted our region just one year ago. While international climate financing has expanded, small island states still face hurdles in turning pledges into action,” he said.

“We urge CARICOM to continue efforts to advocate for reforms in the international arena that support vulnerability index, climate financing and readiness support. This is critical to build our institutional capacity and to help countries move from merely thinking about climate resilience to delivering actual resilience for our people,” Mr. Brooks said.

Turning to economic opportunity, he called for greater progress on regional trade and innovation.

“The promise of the single market economy has never been more vital for our young people. For entrepreneurs and youth alike, integration is essential to turn ambitions into achievements,” Mr. Brooks outlined.

“As young people, we advocate that CARICOM continues the effort to simplify trade, harmonise regulations, and modernise processes that will enable businesses and trade to grow across borders and create a truly Caribbean economy,” he said.

He highlighted the leadership role that youth are already playing in the region’s technological and creative sectors.

“Young people across the region are leading in technology, creative industries, and digital services. To accelerate this, we must accelerate our coordinated actions to incentivise our start-ups, investments in research and development, and stronger partnerships that connect our talent to our regional and global markets,” he said.

Mr. Brooks called for bold, united action to secure a better future.

“This generation is not waiting on the sidelines. We are ready to stand with you to build societies that are safer, economies that are more integrated and industries driven by creativity and resilience,” he underscored.

“Let this be the moment when vision is matched by decisive action, when security is strengthened, when climate financing meets the scale of our needs, when integration becomes our reality and when innovation drives our shared prosperity,” Mr. Brooks said.