(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) When the CARICOM Commission on Youth Development (CCYD) meets in Haiti next week it will be to discuss preliminary research findings and develop a plan of action to complete the Commission’s Report which will be discussed by the special Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) in April 2009.
The Commission was established in March 2007 by the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community to provide a comprehensive analysis of challenges and opportunities for youth in the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME); and to make recommendations on how to improve their well-being and empowerment. The report is to be presented to the 30th Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government slated for July 2009.
Since its inception, the Commission has been working assiduously conducting comprehensive qualitative and quantitative research among Caribbean Youth, the findings of which will be discussed at the Third meeting of the CCYD slated for 8-10 December at the Rosignol Hotel Montana in Port au Prince, Haiti.
The outcomes of this meeting will bring the Commission one step closer to fulfilling its mandate.
The meeting will be attended by approximately 40 delegates including Commissioners, consultants and representatives of the University of the West Indies, development agencies, Departments of youth affairs, and the CARICOM Youth Ambassador Corps.
At the meeting, presenters will highlight regional issues and trends distilled from a review of the literature on Caribbean adolescents and youth and from preliminary reports on youth perspectives on adolescent and youth vision, aspirations, concerns, identity and CSME perspectives; CARICOM and the CSME; risk, vulnerability, resilience and protection; and the relevance, functionality and responsiveness of youth governance structures. The meeting will validate research conclusions and recommendations and devise a plan of action for the way forward.
