Jamaica has announced that it will use its chairmanship of the 15-member Caribbean Community (CARICOM), beginning in July 2025, to highlight the role of youth as the architects of the region’s future.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness, who will take over the chairmanship from Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, pointed out that nearly 60 percent of the Caribbean population is made up of young people.
“You have the power to redefine the Caribbean’s place in the world,” Holness said in a special message ahead of the 49th meeting of Caribbean leaders scheduled for July 6-8 in Montego Bay.
He highlighted the CARICOM Youth Ambassadors Programme as a crucial platform amplifying the collective voices of young people and encouraged youth to be active co-creators of the region’s progress.
Holness also stressed the importance of the technological era, noting that the “digital fluency” and creative energy of young people are essential to the region’s development.
“You are the innovators who will create new industries; the entrepreneurs who will redefine our economies; and the leaders who will advocate for climate justice and sustainability. I urge you to remain bold, confident and visionary.
“Let us work together to create a Region where your ideas are valued, your contributions are celebrated and your futures are secured. We will not just listen to your voices; we will act on your ideas,” he said.
Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister Kamina Johnson Smith told the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Think Tank on Tuesday that human development, capacity-building, and partnerships will be central themes during Jamaica’s chairmanship.
The summit will be held under the theme ‘People, Partnerships, Prosperity: Promoting a Secure and Sustainable Future.’ Johnson Smith explained that careful thought and planning went into the theme’s development.
She said ‘people’ was placed first to emphasize the importance of human development and capacity-building as the foundation for all regional initiatives.
Regarding ‘partnerships,’ the minister stated, “Not only as a region but globally, we have to ensure that we have appropriate partnerships in place to build resilience and to achieve our goals.”
She added that the focus on ‘prosperity’ reflects the aspirational developmental goals shared by all CARICOM member states.
Reflecting on the phrase ‘promoting a secure and sustainable future,’ Johnson Smith said, “peace, stability and security are critical pre-conditions for prosperity and require collective commitment from all.
“The sustainable element also includes an economic aspect. Sustainability is also about inclusive and sustained economic growth…. This is key to building a region that is not only environmentally sustainable but also capable of achieving more together,” she added.
