2nd July 2020

CALL FOR RATIFICATION OF THE NATIONAL YOUTH POLICY

By NYC

During Prime Minister Allen Chastanet’s June 23rd Appropriation Bill presentation for 2020-2021 in highlighting the Government’s achievements within Youth Development noted “Mr. Speaker, our Government’s philosophy has been to make a fundamental shift from viewing the youth as a problem to one in which we place greater emphasis on their empowerment and direct participation as partners in the economic and social development of this nation. We facilitated a lengthy and broad-based consultative process that resulted in the formulation of a National Youth Policy. This along with our overall Medium-Term Development Strategy will serve as the cornerstone of our collective efforts at collaboration and engagement.”
The Saint Lucia National Youth Council takes issue with the statement based on the unclear status of the policy and commitment to its ratification.
Now more than ever our organization acknowledges the fundamental role of the National Youth

Policy (NYP) to provide the overarching guidance and direction needed for all programmes and activities relating to youth in Saint Lucia. From February 1987, the Saint Lucia National Youth Council has been pivotal in the advocacy, consultation and realization of youth related policies. It was under the leadership of then President Mario Michel, the National Youth Council presented a white paper to the Government, highlighting salient youth issues with recommendations for the improvement of the quality of life of young people. Policy formulation efforts gained steam in 1999, following the commitments made by the World Conference of Youth Ministers in Lisbon,

Portugal to the development of National Youth Policies. Upon formulation of the May 2000 Draft NYP, the process was again halted.

In 2015, the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports with assistance from the Commonwealth Youth Programme, embarked on a review of the drafted policy to address present changes in the socio-economic landscape of the country. This review was led by Ms. Dwynette Eversley, a Research and Policy Development Specialist. The SLNYC through the National Executive,

District Branches and Clubs were engaged at various stages of the consultation, leading to the completion of a Draft National Youth Policy for the period 2018-2023. However, we have not seen the realization of the National Youth Policy and its accompanying programs and activities since its formulation.

The status of Saint Lucia’s National Youth Policy is presented in the 2020 ECLAC Caribbean synthesis report on the implementation of the Lisbon Declaration on Youth Policies and Programmes developed by Ms. Eversley. The report states, “Draft Policy completed in August 2016. Public consultations on the draft completed in May 2018. Policy to be submitted for Cabinet approval.”

It is our understanding that a presentation of the draft policy was made to the Cabinet of Ministers on June 3rd , 2019. Upon review, Cabinet Ministers concluded that the 2018-2023 Draft National Youth Policy required further amendments to capture the salient aspects of Youth Development.

We, the members of Saint Lucia National Youth Council, would like to vehemently question several aspects of this policy review process.

1. Guided by the disapproval expressed by Cabinet Ministers for the 2018-2023 Draft National Youth Policy, what are the deficiencies/gaps in the current policy?
2. On what basis does the Cabinet of Ministers determine the aspects of Youth Development relevant to a policy which reflects the contributions of youth through a broad-based and extensive consultative process?
3. What are the next steps for the 2018-2023 Draft National Youth Policy which was disapproved by the Cabinet of Ministers on June 3rd 2019?
4. What are the Government’s philosophies which govern the development of youth in Saint Lucia in the absence of a National Youth Policy and its accompanying programmes and activities?

[DISPLAY_ULTIMATE_SOCIAL_ICONS]

TO RECEIVE NEWS NOTIFICATIONS VIA WHATS APP PLEASE SAVE OUR NUMBER AND SEND US A MESSAGE AT 7584896261 AND WE WILL ADD YOU TO OUR LIST

5. How have these philosophies translated into programmes, policies and activities in Youth Development across the island?

The Saint Lucia National Youth Council believes that a National Youth Policy is a critical policy due to circumstances such as the present COVID-19 crisis where great uncertainty surrounds the future for Youth Employment, Holistic Wellbeing, Economic Participation, Sports, Education and Social Protection. Young people must be guaranteed that the relevant programmes and structures are implemented to deliberately facilitate their active participation in national development. For 20 long years, policy-makers have paid lip service to Saint Lucia National Youth Policy. Thus, the diminishing prioritization of Youth Development by successive administrations has led to a growing apathy and disenchantment with societal institutions among many youth. We are empowered by Section 3, Articles (f.) and (g.) of the Saint Lucia National Youth Council (Incorporation) Act of 1997, where it states that the Saint Lucia National Youth Council must “AFFORD the Government and other institutions the benefit of the collective views of youth in St. Lucia on all important matters”, “MAKE REPRESENTATION and recommendations to Government and other appropriate bodies on matters affecting youth in St. Lucia and to advise the Ministry of Youth on the formulation and review of youth programmes.”

In light of the conflicting status of the 2018-2023 Draft National Youth Policy, SLNYC demands clarity from Prime Minister Allen Chastanet and the Minister of Youth Development and Sports Hon. Edmund Estephane regarding the NYP’s formulation and approval. Our Organization reiterates that the ratification of this policy document is a matter of urgency given the present challenges facing youth. We hope to convene with the relevant authorities for a thorough dialogue on the future of the National Youth Policy and the prioritization of youth-related matters.