Caribbean Trade Law and Development

Tag: Youth

  • CARICOM YOUNG PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMME TO ENHANCE YOUTH INVOLVEMENT IN CSME IMPLEMENTATION

    CARICOM YOUNG PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMME TO ENHANCE YOUTH INVOLVEMENT IN CSME IMPLEMENTATION

    “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
  • Youth: The Untapped Resource We Need to Save the Planet

    Youth: The Untapped Resource We Need to Save the Planet

    Johnny Calliste

    Climate change is one of the most alarming global threats of our time, and its effects are being felt by people of all ages, young and old. For a significant segment of our population, though, climate change has become a particularly pressing issue; for the youth, the future of their planet is in jeopardy, and their outlook on the world is quickly shifting to reflect that.

    Climate change is already having numerous impacts on the lives of youth worldwide. Young people are witnessing and actively experiencing its effects first-hand, whether through extreme weather events like floods, droughts, freak storms, wildfires or increased air and water pollution. These alterations make accessing various activities, from leisure to livelihoods, more challenging. Youth are then met with reduced opportunities for meaningful growth and engagement in a world increasingly shaped by the unpredictability of extreme weather events. Moreover, the emotional distress experienced by youngsters when contemplating the effects of climate change on their future is alarming.

    Over the past few decades, the Caribbean region has experienced a significant shift in weather patterns, resulting in an increased frequency of extreme weather events such as hurricanes, floods, and droughts. This has significantly impacted the region, with effects seen from Jamaica in the north to the South American area. From 2019 to 2022, the Caribbean experienced severe storms that caused immense damage and loss of life. Hurricane Dorian hit the Bahamas in 2019, leaving behind a trail of destruction with at least 70 people dead and over $3 billion in damages. In November 2020, Hurricanes Eta and Iota struck the Northern Caribbean and Central America, leaving over 200 people dead and forcing thousands to flee their homes. In 2021, a series of hurricanes hit the Caribbean island of Dominica. The first hurricane to land was Hurricane Grace in late August, causing significant damage to the island’s infrastructure and leaving thousands without power. A few weeks later, Hurricane Ida unleashed even more devastation on the battered island. Many more countries in the region have faced a similar fate of the rise in freak storms.  Higher temperatures and increased precipitation have also caused the spread and increased presence of invasive species, including the Sargassum seaweed.

    Sargassum seaweed is a brown alga belonging to the Sargasso family. It is commonly found in the pelagic regions of the ocean and is known for forming large floating masses, referred to as the Sargasso Sea. Seaweed is essential in marine ecosystems as it provides shelter and food for sea animals such as turtles, crabs, and fish. Despite its significance, sargassum seaweed growth can become invasive if not properly managed and controlled, as excessive growth can pose risks to human health and disrupt aquatic ecosystems. Sargassum seaweed began attracting international attention when it washed up on Caribbean islands in the summer of 2011. This trend, commonly called the ‘sargassum bloom’, has continued every year since then in varying amounts.

    The seaweed contains chemicals, such as ammonia and hydrogen sulphide, which harm human health. For example, they can cause rashes and other skin irritations in contact with the skin. At the same time, inhaling sargassum-associated air pollutants often leads to respiratory tract irritation, asthma attacks, and other related illnesses. In addition, the seaweed serves as a breeding ground for mosquitoes, which is particularly of concern for those living in coastal regions, as the insects are vectors of severe illnesses such as malaria, Zika and dengue fever. As such, the physical health of youth living in affected areas is often compromised due to the presence of sargassum seaweed.

    Not only do the massive accumulations of seaweed create an unsightly landscape and block access to beaches, but they also considerably harm economies dependent on the tourism industry and the sale of seafood. Excessive persistent sargassum seaweed not only has a direct economic cost due to the expenses incurred in its removal and disposal, but it also has an indirect economic cost in that it drastically reduces local tourism, leading to a decrease in revenue for beach-associated businesses and a subsequent decrease in job opportunities for youth living in the area.

    As the effects of climate change worsen, the implications can be seen in new generations through the increased burden of mental health issues and psychological distress. Youth are particularly vulnerable to the psychological impacts of global warming, especially when the livelihood of their parents, communities, and themselves faces the threat of becoming socioeconomically vulnerable.

    Today, youth are more conscious and aware of their environment than ever and are part of a significant and inspiring movement sweeping the world. Climate change’s economic, environmental, and political implications are becoming increasingly apparent, and young people are responding with innovative, inspiring initiatives. Their critical involvement is essential to tackle the climate crisis, especially considering their broad outreach and ability to spur change quickly. For example, in Grenada, groups such as the Caribbean Youth Environment Network-Grenada (G-YEN) and Leo Clubs of Grenada, Rotaract Club and various School groups have been engaged in activities and public awareness campaigns that have proven practical ways to draw attention to environmental causes and bring about change.

    To further support these efforts, international organisations such as the Global Youth Environment Assembly (GYEA-UN), convened by the UN Environment Programme and Global Youth Climate Action Fund (GYCAF), provide small grants and finance that support the youth’s role in this fight. In addition, they spread awareness, inspire and encourage child to act, and connect youth organisations and activists worldwide. On the international scale, young people use social media platforms such as Tik Tok, Instagram, and Facebook to organise initiatives such as global climate strikes and participate in online petitions and discussions.

    The youth are proving that their innovative solutions can tackle and resolve some of the most complex climate challenges. Despite the daunting task of halting global warming, these young people are bringing the fight to the politicians, corporations, and communities, exhibiting impressive determination and creativity.

    Encouraging youth participation in local initiatives such as community clean-ups, smart agriculture & composting programs, and renewable energy projects helps young people see the impact they can have on the environment. Additionally, donor-funded agencies can further empower youth initiatives by providing more grant funding opportunities and funding pools to support their efforts, especially at the community level. It must be noted that while many funding streams are available to support climate resilience projects, youth are often unable to mobilise these resources since they lack the skills and competence necessary to create winning proposals to secure funding. Therefore, capacity building and training in resource mobilisation strategies can form an integral part of the support given to youth climate advocates and groups.

    Providing funding to support youth-driven innovative climate-smart small businesses and cooperatives is an excellent strategy for allowing creative young entrepreneurs to contribute to promoting climate resilience while earning sustainable income and providing employment opportunities. In the Caribbean, one such business example is the attractive option for sustainable business ventures that the Sargassum seaweed offers. It can be used in various industries, such as agriculture, cosmetics, and animal food production. Sargassum seaweed is rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, making it ideal for fertilising and processing into fertilisers and animal feed supplements. Businesses supported through a grant or concessionary business loans are bound to enjoy high yields given the low competition in this field of speciality. With its numerous benefits and growing concern surrounding consumer sustainability, start-ups utilising sargassum seaweed have great potential to succeed in the marketplace.

    All in all, the Caribbean must recognise and appreciate what the youth are doing and support their journey in every way possible if we are to have any chance at solving the critical issue of climate change and essentially saving the planet.

    Johnny J. Calliste, MSC, CMC, Dip (M&E) is a Grenadian with a master’s degree in International Business from the Arthur Lok Jack GBS-University of the West Indies, St. Augustine. He also holds post-graduate certifications in Youth Development, Monitoring and Evaluation, Project Risk & Cycle Management, and Human Resource Management.  He is preparing for doctoral studies/research in Developmental Economics and Public Policy Management. Johnny works in the Global Development sector with an international organisation and is a climate change and youth development aficionado. As part of his studies, he will conduct considerable research to understand climate change’s socioeconomic and psychological impact on Small Island Developing States. Please feel free to contact him via LinkedIn.

  • Youth and Trade Governance: Pulling up and Changing di Riddim

    Youth and Trade Governance: Pulling up and Changing di Riddim

    Alicia Nicholls

    This week I had the honour and pleasure of being a presenter on the “Redefining Trade Governance” panel at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Youth Forum, one of the pre-events of the UNCTAD XV Quadrennial being held virtually by Barbados. I wish first to congratulate and thank Ms. Roshanna Trim, UNCTAD Youth Forum Lead and her team, for a very thought-provoking and well-organised forum. Second, I am grateful for the opportunity kindly extended to me as a proud Barbadian to participate in this historic moment for our country – the first Small island Developing State to host an UNCTAD quadrennial starting officially from October 3-7, 2021. Third, as a young trade professional, I relished the opportunity to engage with my brilliant fellow panelists who hailed from Kenya, Indonesia and South Africa and who are all doing great things in their countries of origin. 

    In this article, I wish to share a few thoughts some of which, due to time constraints, I had been unable to flesh out fully during what was otherwise a very interesting session at the Youth Forum.

    Pull Up, Change Di Riddim

    In preparing for the session, the creative theme chosen by the UNCTAD Youth Forum organizers: ‘Pull up: Change di riddim’ gave me plenty of food for thought. Without doubt, the current soundtrack for the contemporary trade and development governance regime, both at national, regional and the multilateral levels, needs to be changed or remixed to create a more inclusive and equitable space that benefits marginalized groups, particularly the youth and in keeping with the overall UNCTAD XV theme of “from inequality and vulnerability to prosperity for all”.

    But what would this new or remixed ‘riddim’ sound like? It would be, for example, the rhythm of an updated World Trade Organization (WTO) trade rulebook with equitable trade rules on existing and emerging trade issues, allowing for sustainable job creation and facilitating youth-owned enterprises. It would be the rhythm of giving the youth opportunities to contribute meaningfully at national, regional and international levels solutions-oriented approaches to trade and development issues confronting our world.

    But whose responsibility is it to ‘pull up’ and change this rhythm? I will briefly outline my thoughts on some of the ‘DJs’ responsible for mixing and harmonizing this new riddim for trade governance. These include a wide range of actors, but in this article I am focusing on just a few.

    UNCTAD

    Nearly six decades ago, the Geneva-based UNCTAD was conceived and birthed out of the recognition that marginalized countries in the global trading system – developing countries – needed a voice in the trade and development conversation. UNCTAD already has commendably demonstrated that it values inclusion of youth and young women, including, for example, through its Youth Network and programmes like the Emtrepec Women in Business Award.

    Like other UN agencies, UNCTAD has an internship programme which allows those lucky youth chosen a front row seat on global trade and development issues and work alongside some of the world’s foremost experts on these issues. But these, like other UN system internships, are unremunerated positions, and interns have to pay for their own visas, travel and accommodation in Geneva which is a stunningly beautiful but very expensive city. Offering paid internships would extend this amazing opportunity to more youth, particularly those of poorer backgrounds and whose contributions are no less valuable.

    UNCTAD, as part of a Youth and Trade and Development work programme, can also serve as a forum for its 195 Member States to share best practices and providing technical assistance and capacity building on youth mainstreaming in trade and development policy making.

    National Governments

    Research from the Caribbean Development Bank in 2015 shows that youth unemployment in the Caribbean region is among the highest in the world at 25% and nearly three times the adult unemployment rate of 8%. An increasing number of youth are unable to find decent employment commensurate with their qualifications and skills and made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, anecdotally, there has been an increase in youth in the region choosing to pursue entrepreneurial activities as opposed to working for someone else. These include from farming to soap-making to designing application software. But many of those businesses are in the informal sector and, therefore, often not eligible for assistance programmes, such as COVID relief.  

    Business facilitation, although there have been improvements, especially due to COVID-19 imperatives, remains a frustration, particularly for youth-owned SMEs. While Jamaica leads the region and is ranked sixth on the “starting a business” indicator, no Caribbean country currently ranks among the top 50 countries on the World Bank Doing Business Index overall. Improving access to information and reducing waiting times for simple things, such as registering a business or incorporating a company would help to incentivize business formalization.

    Governments can also expand the number of internship programmes in their ministries of trade, and other trade-related agencies so more young people can see international trade and international trade policy making and implementation in action at the national level.

    Another barrier facing youth-owned SMEs is lack of information, especially market intelligence information and having to deal with non-tariff barriers in markets they seek to access. Establishing and/or expanding bespoke youth-targeted export promotion programmes can help more youth make the transition from entrepreneurial exploits to exports to global markets and as part of global value chains.

    Youth concerns should be mainstreamed in national trade policies. As an example, Belize’s National Trade Policy includes a section on the youth. Moreover, we cannot create youth policies in a vacuum. Better data is needed for creating evidence-based youth policies and monitoring and evaluating the impact of trade and economic policies on the youth.  Additionally, we must move away from the notion that having a young face on a board or at a meeting is enough to qualify as involving a youth voice. The youth should be an important stakeholder in trade discussions, the way we would include the private sector and labour.

    Private Sector

    The private sector can play a role by mentoring and/or offering more internships to young people interested in trade. Mentorship of the youth, especially those interested in careers in the trade and development field is sorely lacking in the region. We must see investing in young people not as a threat or risk, but as an opportunity and investment that pays dividends.

    Access to finance is a major problem for SMEs, including youth SMEs which are often seen as risky. It is made harder by increased bank fees and stricter know your customer (KYC) requirements due to global anti-money laundering/countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) rules. Not every young person has two forms of ID in order to open a bank account. Some also lack the financial records needed to borrow at non-prohibitive interest rates. Banks can do more to facilitate lending to young entrepreneurs.

    The ‘youth’ Diaspora

    Due to migration, there is a growing number of young professionals in our diasporas in the US, UK, Canada and even as far as China and Dubai. Caribbean governments need to have systematic ways of engaging our ‘youth diaspora’, many of whom have migrated to pursue better opportunities abroad but still want to give back to their home countries. The value of the youth diaspora is not limited to remittances. It is through the networks, know-how and knowledge they have which can be harnessed for our trade and development.

    Let’s take the area of sports which as I wrote a few years ago has tremendous potential for export diversification. I recently heard a Brasstacks discussion where our well-respected Olympic champion Obadele Thompson had indicated providing a comprehensive plan for high performance sport to our Olympic Association for their consideration. That is just one example of the eagerness displayed by some in the ‘youth’ diaspora in contributing to development ‘back home’. Additionally, members of the Caribbean diaspora, many of whom are professionals, can also be more fully engaged as potential mentors, particularly for other young entrepreneurs.

    Society

    While we may not wish to admit it, a big hindrance to greater youth involvement on trade and development matters is the anti-youth bias that pervades many of our societies and which rears its ugly head when youth try to insert their voices into debates on matters of public interest.  We need to get away from the belief that calls by the youth for inclusion are conceived in ‘millennial entitlement’ when really they are out of the desire for a voice and for opportunities to contribute meaningfully to the societies which invested in our education and where many of us which to retire some day.

    Youth ourselves as DJs

    We, as youth ourselves, are DJs and have a role in this riddim. The world is our oyster thanks to the internet. The COVID-19 pandemic has given greater imperative to create and expand spaces for ourselves to network, share information, ideas, opportunities, best practices, with other youth not just nationally, but regionally and across the world. We must also continue to advocate on trade and development issues.

    In conclusion, as a SIDS, Barbados’ virtual hosting of the UNCTAD 15 Quadrennial Conference and its concomitant chairmanship of UNCTAD for the next four years provides a unique opportunity for mainstreaming the voice of the youth, particularly from marginalized states like SIDS, in setting and advancing the trade and development governance agenda. This includes on trade issues such as special and differential treatment and solving the WTO Appellate Body crisis, but also non-trade issues like migration, climate change and the blue economy. A youth voice is also pertinent on issues of concessional financing and debt relief because it is the youth who are among today’s and tomorrow’s taxpayers. Every dollar spent in debt repayment is money that could be invested in education, in youth programmes and the like.

    Ultimately, the youth can be a valuable actor and change agent in helping to ‘pull up and change di riddim’ so we can have national, regional and international trading systems that move from inequality and vulnerability to prosperity for all.

    Alicia Nicholls, B.Sc., M.Sc., LL.B. is a trade and development consultant with a keen interest in sustainable development, international law and trade. All views herein expressed are her personal views and should not be attributed to any institution with which she may from time to time be affiliated. You can read more of her commentaries and follow her on Twitter @LicyLaw.