UN, EU partner to launch local Youth Advisory Group

Jamaica’s youths now have a new medium to share their views on key issues and contribute to shaping the policies and programmes that will impact their future. This, with the establishment of the United Nations (UN) European Union’s (EU) Youth Advisory Group.

Speaking at the official launch of the Youth Advisory Group on Tuesday, Dr Erja Askola, EU ambassador to Jamaica, said that its members will harness their leadership, creativity, and passion to drive positive change.

“This group will serve as a powerful platform for Jamaican youths to contribute to policy discussions, and ensuring that their perspectives are taken into account, and they inform the collective effort of the global community towards sustainable development and peace,” she said. “We believe that young people are not just beneficiaries, but they are active participants and contributors to global solutions. This partnership with the United Nations reflects our shared goal of ensuring that young people have a meaningful voice in decisions that affect their lives and future,” she said.

“In discussing the focal point of the UN and the EU, it is important to know that they are not just passive observers. They are active guides, ensuring that voices do not just echo in consultation,” Dr Jahnoy St. Jacques, the Youth Advisory Group’s general secretary added.

The UN-EU Youth Advisory Group comprises 15 young leaders who were selected from diverse backgrounds, including education, community and advocacy leadership.

Their commitment to sustainable development, passion for youth empowerment, and their knowledge of issues affecting young people in Jamaica were deciding factors in their selection.

The group is built on three pillars: consultation and advice, capacity building, and connection.

Dennis Zulu, UN resident coordinator, said the partnership between the EU and the UN in establishing the Youth Advisory Group is a powerful demonstration of multilateral cooperation to create impactful youth engagement frameworks.

He noted that initiatives like these reinforce the principle that young people must be at the heart of sustainable development efforts.

Zulu shared that the advisory group has already been working in providing input into country analyses and development cooperation to help improve the UN’s responsiveness to youths in Jamaica.

Members have also been actively engaged in ongoing training in human rights, protection against exploitation and abuse, and other disciplines facilitated by the EU and UN.

“Their diversity reflects the vibrancy of Jamaica’s youth population,” he said. “These advisers are not here only to advise, but to inspire, advocate and co-create solutions that speak directly to their peers.

Meanwhile, Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Alando Terrelonge, applauded the initiative, noting that Jamaica has always placed great emphasis on youth empowerment and participation in national and global decision-making processes.

“The partnership between the UN, the EU and youth representatives, signals a renewed commitment to integrational dialogue and cooperation. It’s a testament to the fact that when we invest in young people, we invest in a brighter, more resilient and a prosperous future for us all,” he said.

“As young leaders, your voices must always be heard. You must always be valued and you must always be integrated into our collective decision-making framework,” he stated.