Antigua and Barbuda’s young leaders take centre stage at major global gathering of youth at the United Nations
With its largest delegation of young leaders in New York, Antigua and Barbuda is playing another active role in the 2026 Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum at the United Nations.
The April 14-16 event takes place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York under the theme “Transformative, equitable, innovative and coordinated actions for the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs for a sustainable future for all”.
The delegation, led by the Director of Youth Affairs, Dr. Jrucilla Samuel, comprises four National Youth Ambassadors: Christal Percival, Amelia Williams, Kristine Louisa, and Shacia Albertine, as well as two members of the National Youth Volunteer Corps, Sara Bacchus, General Secretary, and Esquire Henry, a former CARICOM Youth Ambassador.
The youth forum got underway on Tuesday with an impactful presentation by the Director of Youth Affairs who underscored the significance of workforce rejuvenation.
In her presentation, Dr. Samuel asserted that “workforce rejuvenation is not simply the next cycle of recruitment. It is a deliberate strategy to revitalize institutions through cognitive diversity. The aim is not to replace experience, but to create synergy. By uniting the insight of veteran staff with the creativity and digital fluency of youth, we strengthen our capacity to confront the world’s most pressing challenges.”
Dr Samuel also argued that while investing in a rejuvenated workforce is a great initiative, young people should not be catapulted into leadership overnight. “Sustainable multilateralism depends on sustainable leadership,” Dr. Samuel added. Therefore, it is important that youth receive all-round support, but she insisted that there is an urgent need to equip young leaders with “quality education, meaningful work experience, and mentorship grounded in core values such as accountability, resilience, and integrity.”
Day two of the ECOSOC Youth Forum on April 15 will include presentations by two National Youth Ambassadors in the Caribbean Regional Breakout Session. Amelia Williams will be speaking on the theme, Empowering Caribbean Youth to Innovate, Unite and Transform: Shaping the Road to 2030. Kristine Louisa will elaborate on Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities. Esquire Henry, who was invited by the UN a second time to the ECOSOC Youth Forum, will be moderating the Caribbean Regional Breakout Session.
On the final day of the ECOSOC Youth Forum, National Youth Ambassador Christal Percival will highlight the work Antigua and Barbuda has been doing in regards to SDG 11.
The delegation also paid a courtesy call on Antigua and Barbuda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Aubrey Webson. As he discussed the structure and the work of the United Nations, he impressed on the young leaders to remain persistently active as advocates of Small Island Developing States (SIDS). He commended the youth and director for the work they have been doing in the fields of environmental sustainability, education, health, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy.
Ambassador Webson also shared his experiences of resilience and the important role of the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS) in building and linking resilient communities, as well as strengthening data collection.
The Forum will place special emphasis on five of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, to include Goal 6, which is Clean Water and Sanitation, Goal 7 having to do with Affordable and clean Energy, Goal 9 – Industry, innovation and infrastructure, Goal 11 – Sustainable cities and communities, and Goal 17, Partnerships for the goals.
Serving as a global platform, the ECOSOC Youth Forum will bring together young people, Member States, the UN system, and other partners to exchange ideas, showcase innovative solutions, and strengthen youth engagement in accelerating progress on the SDGs.
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