ST. KITTS AND NEVIS’ MOST REMARKABLE TEENS 2018 JOIN PANTHEON OF YOUNG CHANGE MAKERS WORLDWIDE

Basseterre, St. Kitts, November 16, 2018 (SKNIS): A Most Remarkable Teendesignation “is a very eminent achievement comparative to any global achievement attained in any section of the Eastern or Western Hemisphere of the world,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Youth Empowerment, the Honourable Shawn Richards.

“Our Remarkable Teens, tonight, have joined the pantheon of young change-makers and activists who have captured the world’s attention and influenced us with the immense scope of human, scientific and social accomplishments,” he added, while delivering remarks during the eighth annual 25 Most Remarkable Teens (MRTs) Awards Ceremony at a special sitting of Parliament on Thursday, November 15. “You were chosen tonight, not because of your greatness, but because of the simple things you do that make those around you great.”

Minister Richards noted that St. Kitts and Nevis continues to be a leader in advancing the empowerment of all young people.

He reflected on the Caribbean Forum on Population, Youth and Development that held by the CARICOM Secretariat; the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in July 2018.  The Forum was organized to offer Caribbean countries a timely opportunity to assess youth policies and programmes within the framework of the Lisbon Declaration on Youth Policies and Programmes, along with other agreements, including the World Programme of Action for Youth, the CARICOM Youth Development Goals and the Commonwealth Youth Development Index.

“I am pleased to indicate that, at that forum, St. Kitts and Nevis gained high eminence for having formulated the most up-to-date and most comprehensive Federal Youth Policy among all CARICOM Member States and Latin America,” said Minister Richards. “Our Youth Policy, which was tabled just about a year ago, to date, makes provision for and caters to the developmental needs of every social grouping of youth within our country. It is loaded with the necessary support and protections for youth and is drafted within the framework of the Lisbon Declaration and driven by, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) enshrined within the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”

Minister Richards used the occasion to commend the Interview and Selection Panel for a “job well done” in using the 17 SDGs “as a basis for conducting their interviews and identifying the illustrious 25 Most Remarkable Teens.”