CARICOM launches youth committee to tackle crime and violence
Key Points(5)
- The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has established a new youth advisory committee aimed at giving young people a greater role in shaping regional strategies to prevent crime and violence.
- The CARICOM Youth Advisory Committee on the Prevention of Crime and Violence (YAC-PCV) will provide a formal mechanism for young people to contribute to the design, implementation and refinement of the regional bloc's crime prevention initiatives.
- The eight-member committee comprises young people between the ages of 18 and 29 drawn from CARICOM member states and associate members, with an emphasis on gender balance and the inclusion of marginalized groups.
- According to CARICOM, the committee will help develop interactive webinars, practical toolkits and policy-related initiatives under the CARICOM Secretariat's crime and security and youth development programs.
- Michele Small-Bartley, program manager for youth development at the CARICOM Secretariat, said the committee is intended to ensure regional crime-fighting strategies reflect the experiences and perspectives of Caribbean youth.
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has established a new youth advisory committee aimed at giving young people a greater role in shaping regional strategies to prevent crime and violence.
The CARICOM Youth Advisory Committee on the Prevention of Crime and Violence (YAC-PCV) will provide a formal mechanism for young people to contribute to the design, implementation and refinement of the regional bloc's crime prevention initiatives.
The eight-member committee comprises young people between the ages of 18 and 29 drawn from CARICOM member states and associate members, with an emphasis on gender balance and the inclusion of marginalized groups.
According to CARICOM, the committee will help develop interactive webinars, practical toolkits and policy-related initiatives under the CARICOM Secretariat's crime and security and youth development programs.
Michele Small-Bartley, program manager for youth development at the CARICOM Secretariat, said the committee is intended to ensure regional crime-fighting strategies reflect the experiences and perspectives of Caribbean youth.
It will also serve as a bridge between young people, policymakers and regional institutions working in justice, security and social development.
“By mainstreaming youth into CARICOM’s crime and security governance, the Committee will strengthen inclusivity and accessibility, ensuring participation from young people in remote areas, those with disabilities, and individuals from diverse linguistic and socio-cultural backgrounds,” Small-Bartley said.
The committee will also work to increase young people's understanding of alternatives to incarceration, restorative justice, diversion programs, cyber safety and public health approaches to crime prevention.
Members are expected to contribute to regional dialogues, technical workshops and symposiums as part of those efforts.
Small-Bartley said young people throughout the Caribbean are disproportionately affected by crime and violence, whether as victims, people considered at risk or those who come into contact with the criminal justice system.
“Structural challenges such as unemployment, social exclusion, weak access to justice, prolonged pretrial detention, limited use of non-custodial sentencing, and emerging threats like cybercrime heighten their vulnerability,” she said.
The establishment of the committee comes as CARICOM pursues broader efforts to address crime and improve justice systems across the region.
CARICOM previously commissioned a Tripartite Study examining pretrial detention, non-custodial sentencing and alternative justice mechanisms in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The initiative resulted in the development of the CARICOM-UNDP Diagnostic Document and the CARICOM-UN Action Framework, which are being used to inform regional approaches to crime, violence, resilience and human security.
Sherwin Toyne-Stephenson, program manager for crime and security at the CARICOM Secretariat, said the regional body is now developing tools based on the study's findings using a public health, prevention-focused and integrated justice approach.
“The YAC-PCV is central to ensuring these efforts remain relevant, accessible, and sustained,” Toyne-Stephenson said.
CARICOM said the new committee reflects its push to make young people active participants in crime prevention rather than simply beneficiaries of regional policies aimed at reducing violence.
