(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Rt. Hon. Perry Christie, Prime Minister of The Bahamas, advocated for the Region’s youth on Thursday, urging that the CARICOM-US Summit “secure the future for our young people.”
Prime Minister Christie, Co-chair of the Summit along with President of the United States, Barack Obama, addressed the opening ceremony in Kingston, Jamaica, which also featured remarks by host Prime Minister the Hon. Portia Simpson-Miller, and President Obama.
The Summit was held at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Jamaica.
Channeling the significance of the CARICOM-US encounter with respect to youth development, the CARICOM Chairman said: “Let there be no mistake today. Our mission is as great an opportunity as we can have in our time, to review the important issues of our time. At the core of the mission is that of the development of our people, to make their lives better, free from crime and violence; with incomes that support a good living for themselves and their families and to ensure a bright future for our young people.”
His mission, he said, was to “speak for our young people,” the future of the Region. No other mission was so compelling than dispelling their sense of hopelessness, fixing joblessness, ensuring a good education, and helping them become part of formal economies.
Focusing on the youth growth within the broader context of human development, Prime Minister Christie said, it must be done in a safe and secured environment.
The CARICOM Chair’s sentiments on the youth were echoed by United States President Barack Obama who said he was looking forward to a town hall meeting later in the day with the youth and for concrete actions to advance their development. Sharing Prime Minister Christie vision for the Region’s youth, the US President said: “where spirit, innovation, boldness of the youth could be channeled in a positive direction, most countries succeed.”
In their remarks, the three speakers touched on competitiveness, energy, and security, which were key subjects of the Summit. The themes reflect the major concerns of the Community as many of the Member States seek to emerge from the lingering effects of the global economic and financial crisis.
