Basseterre, St. Kitts (November 15, 2005): Two young people are in Malta to represent the Federation at the November 16 - 23, Commonwealth Youth Forum 5 (CYF5).
Tavo Sargeant and Cindy De Suza will attend the conference, which will run parallel to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). The youth forum is considered by many to be one of the most important meetings as it provides an excellent opportunity for young people within the Commonwealth to interact, exchange ideas and develop action plans and recommendations to be presented to leaders attending the CHOGM.
The Federation's delegates are reportedly very honoured to represent the country at this forum. Particular interest will be paid to the discussions on HIV/AIDS, teenage pregnancy and prostitution, alcohol abuse among youths as well as youth entrepreneurship.
These areas were mentioned by the delegates as topics that are of particular concern to young people in St. Kitts and Nevis and the broader Caribbean region.
Senior Youth Officer in the Ministry of Education, Youth, Community and Social Development and Gender Affairs Dave Connor told SKNIS that it is very important for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to participate at the Commonwealth Youth Forum.
He stressed that the unique challenges faced by SIDS are often not fully appreciated by industrialized countries and hence every opportunity should be used to draw these concerns to the attention of leaders from larger countries.
Connor also thanked the various business houses and individuals who aided the participation of Sargeant and De Suza at the forum.
There are 53 countries in the Commonwealth with an approximate population of 1.8 billion people or one third (1/3) of the world's population. Additional information about CYF5 can be accessed online at www.cyf2005.info.
