"We remain upbeat about the future and continue to engage different processes to ensure that changes are implemented. After all, we are ‘the now,’ and we continue to be hopeful that we can collectively bridge the divide and solve any differences so we can effectively drive regional integration.” - Odane Brooks, CARICOM Youth Ambassador (Jamaica)
"It is also important to explore how the Region’s policymakers and development specialists can partner to exploit the untapped opportunities for securing positive educational outcomes, strengthening community development and facilitating greater youth engagement through chess."
Dr Armstrong Alexis | Deputy Secretary-General | CARICOM
Jamaica’s six-month chairmanship of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), which begins on 1 July 2025, will place emphasis on youth as the architects of the future, Prime Minister Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness has announced.
In a special message ahead of the Forty-ninth Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM, which will be held in Montego Bay, Jamaica, 6-8 July, Prime Minister Holness zeroed in on the youth of the Region who account for nearly 60 per cent of the Region’s populace.
Twenty-three (23) young professionals from 13 CARICOM Member States are now better equipped to empower youth of the Region in navigating the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) following the completion of orientation and the first week of training of the CARICOM Young Professionals Programme (CYPP).
23 young people from 13 Member States participating in specialised training on CSME
Caribbean youth were represented by a powerful voice at the United Nations on Monday as Luke James-Trim, CARICOM Youth Ambassador for Trinidad and Tobago, took the international stage during the Caribbean Regional Breakout Session of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum. Representing the Region, James-Trim delivered an inspiring intervention highlighting the enduring strength of Caribbean partnerships and the need for inclusive development models.
Barbados CARICOM Youth Ambassador Ashley Lashley says CARIFESTA XV, slated for 22-31 August 2025 in Barbados, will be an ideal platform to propel Caribbean artists.
"Sometimes we focus on the challenges, but our conversation today was more about the opportunities for meaningful engagement with young people. We spoke about mental health and well-being and the experience of CARICOM with the strong leadership of our young people to find solutions." - Dr Felipe Paullier, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs
The project aligns with Barbados’ wider goals under the CARICOM 25 by 2025 (now 25 X 2030) agenda to reduce food imports and improve youth engagement in agriculture.
The CSME is more than a policy framework—it is a gateway to economic empowerment, mobility, and innovation for young people. It is the key that allows a young Tobagonian entrepreneur to scale their business beyond our shores, a recent graduate to find work in another CARICOM state without unnecessary barriers...
Trinidad and Tobago's CARICOM Youth Ambassador, Luke James-Trim