In a powerful demonstration of youth leadership and regional unity, the UNESCO Youth, Peace and Security Special Group (YPS SG) hosted a virtual panel discussion titled The Caribbean Perspective: Youth, Peace, and Security. The event convened youth leaders, experts, and policymakers from across the region to spotlight the critical nexus between youth empowerment, peacebuilding, and security.

The panel addressed some of the Caribbean’s most pressing challenges—such as youth unemployment, gang and community violence, and the destabilizing impact of climate change, particularly on the most vulnerable communities. With youth being disproportionately affected, the discussion served as a crucial platform for amplifying their own voices and experiences as well as potential solutions.

Four key objectives guided the dialogue: raising awareness of the region’s unique security concerns and issues, empowering youth as peacebuilders, fostering cross-sector collaboration, and promoting inclusive dialogue. Panelists shared firsthand insights and success stories from grassroots peace initiatives, emphasizing the creativity, innovation and resilience of young Caribbean changemakers.

The dialogue interactive yielded a series of actionable recommendations in order to strengthen youth participation in policymaking, deepen cross-border cooperation, and also support sustainable peace strategies. A consistent and resounding theme that emerged throughout the panel discussion was the urgent need to view youth not as passive recipients of peace but instead, as active architects of it.

By creating a space for inclusive and youth-led discourse, this panel marked a significant step toward building a more peaceful, resilient and secure Caribbean—one in which youth are recognized as essential and key partners in shaping a just future for the whole region.