October 23, 2026
The CARICOM Secretariat invites young people to share their views on youth participation in policymaking and regional decision-making at the CARICOM Youth Consultation: Youth Voices, Regional Choices – Shaping Policy Together.
The virtual consultation will be held on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, at 6:00 p.m. AST via Zoom. It will provide a platform for young people to discuss the issues that matter most to them and contribute recommendations on strengthening youth engagement in regional governance.
The CARICOM Youth Ambassador (CYA) Corps is organising the event, and its members will facilitate and lead discussions throughout the consultation.
The consultation follows the launch of the CARICOM Youth Survey earlier this month. Insights from both initiatives will inform deliberations at the upcoming Meeting of Senior Officials and Regional Youth Dialogue on Youth Development, scheduled for 4 November 2026 at the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus in Antigua and Barbuda.
Dean of the CARICOM Youth Ambassador Corps Janet Simon said the consultation aims to ensure youth perspectives are meaningfully reflected in regional discussions on development and governance.
“This consultation provides an important opportunity for young people to speak directly about the issues affecting their lives and to share their vision for a stronger role in shaping CARICOM’s future. We want youth voices to be at the centre of regional conversations, and we encourage young people from across the Community to participate and ensure their perspectives are represented in the discussions to come.”
Guyana’s CARICOM Youth Ambassador and Vice Dean, Communications and Information for the CYA Corps, Shaquawn Gill emphasised that the youth-led consultation offers a valuable opportunity for young people to help shape the future of regional governance.
“This is a chance for young people across CARICOM to have a real say in the decisions that shape our Region. By bringing together different ideas, experiences, and perspectives, we can create more opportunities for youth to be involved and help build a future where young people are valued as key partners in CARICOM’s development.”
Youth, who are interested in participating in the discussion, can visit the CARICOM website (https://caricom.org and social media platforms for more information.