BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, October 24, 2024 (SKNIS) – The Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, the Honourable Dr. Terrance M. Drew, has issued a challenge to the youths of the nation to take a stand and let their voices be heard on the global challenge of climate change.
During the Pre-COP29 Youth Forum held on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, at the Royal St. Kitts Hotel, Prime Minister Dr. Drew addressed the primary and secondary school students, emphasising that as residents of small island states, we are among the most affected by the impacts of climate change, despite being the least responsible for its worsening effects.
While the leaders of government of small island developing states are doing all within their powers to help mitigate the impacts of climate change through global outreach and building resiliency, Prime Minister Dr. Drew said it is critically important for the young people, as the future inheritors of the planet, to become strong advocates for climate justice and adaptation.
He urged them to tap into their unlimited creative abilities “to ask the whole world to change its course of destructive action on our climate and environment and to be more responsible.”
This, Dr. Drew said, can be accomplished through the arts like paintings, poetry, speaking competitions and other activities that will allow their voices to be heard on the issue of climate change.
The Pre-COP29 Youth Forum also served to introduce the nation’s youth to the government’s ambitious goal of transforming the twin-island Federation into a Sustainable Island State by 2035.
Prime Minister Dr. Drew said the premise behind the government’s Sustainable Island State Agenda (SISA) is to ensure that there is a future for young people to inherit and prosper.
“We care about you and we care about our country,” Dr. Drew said to the youth gathered at the forum. “The Sustainable Island State will maintain what we have and improve upon it so that you have a healthy environment, healthy islands and a healthy country to inherit so that you can grow up to be healthy men and women.”
The Sustainable Island State Agenda is built upon seven (7) pillars – Green Energy Transition, Food Security, Economic Diversification, Sustainable Industries, the Creative Economy, COVID-19 Recovery, and Social Protection.