UNESCO SUPPORTS YOUTH DEVELOPMENT IN ST. KITTS AND NEVIS
Basseterre, St. Kitts, May 06, 2022 (SKNIS): Dorothy Warner, Secretary-General of St. Kitts and Nevis National Commission for UNESCO, said that the organization strongly supports youth development in the Federation as the institution prides itself on giving young people greater access to education, employment, and entrepreneurship opportunities.
“UNESCO is very supportive of youth. We partner with the Directors of Youth on both St. Kitts and Nevis, we work with them very closely and we are able to disseminate information to them from UNESCO, get young people to be a part of different forums to be able to gain capacity,” said Ms. Warner, during her May 04 appearance on ‘Working for You.’
Ms. Warner spoke about the creation of the Ministry of Entertainment and Entrepreneurship, adding that they work hand in hand, especially where youths are concerned.
“The Assistant-Secretary Keisha Adams, she is very much a part of what we do. Even in the celebration of the UNESCO days, she is very much keen to be able to prepare programmes to bring the youth on board,” she said. “I remember just last month we celebrated World Poetry Day and I was really intrigued to be a part of the programme in the Square where 90 percent of the performances were by young people and the depth of their poetry was really captivating. So, the youths, they are there with us and we want to make sure that they are there because they are the ones who will ensure the sustainability of the activities of UNESCO.”
She stated that UNESCO promotes youth activities, especially in sports adding that all the social sciences promoted by UNESCO are done primarily with the youth population in mind who “will carry things forward.”
Secretary-General Warner touched briefly on World Youth Day which is celebrated annually on August 12 to bring youth issues to the attention of the international community and celebrate the potential of youth as partners in today’s global society. “We make sure that the youths are impacted and they have things that they can do to showcase their talents.
According to https://sdg.iisd.org/, World Youth Day gives an opportunity to celebrate and mainstream young people’s voices, actions and initiatives, as well as their meaningful, universal and equitable engagement. It was established by the United Nations General Assembly, which on December 17, 1999, endorsed the recommendation made by the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth calling for August 23 to be declared as International Youth Day.
