| “We must prioritise educational reform, targeted outreach, youth engagement, and skills development to bridge the gap in awareness and empower young people to actively participate in and benefit from the CSME’s opportunities.” – Michele Small-Bartley, Programme Manager for Youth Development at the CARICOM Secretariat |
| CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana – Friday, 6 September 2024: Many Caribbean youth remain unaware of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) and its benefits to their lives and future prosperity. This is due to several issues, including the fact that the CSME is not adequately incorporated into educational curricula and limited engagement and interest from youth. These barriers hinder their potential for growth and advancement through regional integration. The recently launched CARICOM Young Professionals Programme (CYPP) is a solution to these challenges as it will better position young people in the Region to benefit from the advances in regional integration. Achieving Integration through Collective Efforts Ms Michele Small-Bartley, Programme Manager for Youth Development at the CARICOM Secretariat believes that the CYPP can bridge gaps and create renewed interest in CSME among youth. She affirms that the CSME is a critical vehicle to drive economic growth and foster regional cooperation in the Caribbean. “We must prioritise educational reform, targeted outreach, youth engagement, and skills development to bridge the gap in awareness and empower young people to actively participate in and benefit from the CSME’s opportunities,” stated Small-Bartley. The CYPP is a four-month programme which aims to build the capacity of CARICOM nationals aged 24 to 35 years by providing them with the relevant knowledge and skills to promote the implementation of the CSME regime. It will also focus on helping young people better understand and navigate the complexities of the CSME through comprehensive training, workshops, and educational resources using an experiential approach to enhance their knowledge, skills, and competencies. Through this process, young professionals will be empowered to advocate for their interests and priorities within the CSME framework, thus ensuring their voices are heard in policy discussions and decision-making processes at the national and regional levels. The initiative will facilitate platforms, forums, and networking events where young professionals can connect, collaborate, and exchange ideas with peers, mentors, policymakers, and business leaders across the Caribbean region. It also seeks to establish a CARICOM Young Professional Network, fostering a sense of community and advocating for greater youth involvement in the decision-making process related to the implementation of the CSME regime. Ms Small-Bartley is also advocating for prioritising educational reform, targeted outreach, youth involvement, and skills development so stakeholders can bridge the gap in awareness and empower young people to actively participate in and benefit from the CSME’s opportunities. “The vision of a prosperous and integrated Caribbean region can only be realised through collective effort,” stated Small-Bartley. Selection of the first cohort of programme participants is in progress. Source: Press Release from the CARICOM Secretariat |
Author: caribbeantradelaw
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CARICOM YOUNG PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMME TO ENHANCE YOUTH INVOLVEMENT IN CSME IMPLEMENTATION
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GSCF Day 4 – Gender Equality Plenary and Closing Ceremony
Alicia Nicholls
Ladies and gentlemen, it is a wrap! The curtains have come down on the inaugural Global Supply Chain Forum, jointly hosted by UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the Government of Barbados here in beautiful Barbados, May 21-24. Barbados is no stranger to hosting high-level conferences. But it gives me such pride as a Barbadian to see my country not just propose but host this important forum. Some 1,200 persons reportedly attended the Forum, of which 900 attended in person!
Today’s proceedings commenced with the final plenary which touched on the important theme of gender equality in global supply chains. A key takeaway from the International Labour Organisation (ILO)’s Director General Gilbert Houngbo’s introductory remarks on the panel was that while women now make up a large part of this sector, they still only occupy a small percentage of the higher-level jobs and continue to face several challenges, including poor working conditions, discrimination on the basis of gender and sexual harassment/violence. It was also enlightening to hear from each of the outstanding women on the panel, including the UN Trade and Development SG Rebeca Grynspan, on their own trailblazing journeys and some of the ways their respective organisations are seeking to support and increase women’s participation in this sector.
The closing ceremony featured reflections on the week’s events, key takeaways and some next steps for 2026 in Saudi Arabia. The Forum’s main outcome, the SIDS Ministerial Declaration, was signed by the ministers present and will be one of the inputs into the SIDS 4 conference taking place next week in Antigua.
The Forum was a resounding success! Heartfelt kudos to all involved, including Carlos Wharton, Ambassador Matthew Wilson and their teams and all other members of Team Barbados, as well as the UNCTAD team, including Jan Hoffmann and Pamela Ugaz!
I will be heading to Antigua for SIDS4. Follow us for our updates there!
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GSCF Days 2 & 3: Sustainability Issues, the Youth and Port Tour
Alicia Nicholls
Sustainability issues, including issues around climate change and greening supply chains, dominated the discussions on Days 2 & 3 of the historic and inaugural Global Supply Chain Forum (GSCF) taking place here in Barbados, May 21-24! The parallel sessions touched on diverse topics, all with a sustainability underpinning, and included leveraging pooled procurement, Electronic Single Windows, National Trade Facilitation Committees, food (in)security, climate change, decarbonisation of ports, building resilient supply chains, energy transition of fishing fleets, trade in services for economic diversification, regional connectivity, among others. The sessions allowed for discussing not just challenges, but the sharing of best practices from around the world.
I also wish to make special mention of the panel on Day 3 on Regional Connectivity and the frank discussion which ensued on the challenges and opportunities for improving regional air and sea connectivity and intra-regional trade.
Given the sustainability thrust, it is therefore fitting that the youth voice was also featured over these past two days. Notably, there was a side event forum hosted by the UWI and UN Trade and Development with SG Rebeca Grynspan at the main campus of The UWI Cave Hill on Day 2. There was also a special panel co-organised by The UWI and UN Trade and Development on Day 3 on youth involvement in global supply chains.
A highlight for me was the port tour this morning (Day 3) at the Bridgetown Port where we as delegates on the tour got to see first hand some of the work being done to expand the Bridgetown Port’s capacity and efficiency. This includes for example the new berth 6 under construction and a marina which will feature a small supermarket which is also currently under construction, new cranes being ordered, among other things.
Stay tuned for Day 4 updates, the final day of the forum!
Did you miss our updates from Day 1? Check them out here!
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GSCF Day 1: SIDS Ministerial Declaration on Transportation Launched and Location of next GSCF Announced!
Alicia Nicholls
The inaugural Global Supply Chain Forum (GSCF), jointly organised by UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the Government of Barbados, kicked off yesterday at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre in Barbados with an opening ceremony and several high-level panels, including a High-Level SIDS Ministerial Dialogue. The forum’s theme is “Transport and Logistics Challenges and Opportunities Relevant to Small Island Developing States (SIDS)”.
One of the key highlights of Day 1 was the official launch of the Ministerial Statement for Enhancing Transport and Logistics in SIDS. This document is not only a key outcome of the GSCF but a major input into the upcoming 4th UN International conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4) taking place in Antigua next week.
The second major highlight was that Secretary General of UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) announced that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will host the next GSCF.
Stay tuned for updates from Day 2!
Caribbean Trade Law and Development 
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