PM Terrance Drew encourages young voices on Climate Change at Pre-COP29 Forum in St Kitts and Nevis

The Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, Dr Terrance Drew prioritized the voice of the youth of the nation on the issue of climate change at the Pre-COP29 Forum. He expressed delight in interacting with the young people and listening to their insights on the measures that can be taken to lead the nation toward sustainability.

Recently, dozens of primary and secondary school students participated in the Pre-COP29 Youth Forum on the topic including, Climate and You(th). This forum was hosted by the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Environment, Climate Action & Constituency Empowerment on 23^rd October, 2024 at the Royal St. Kitts Hotel.

Prime Minister Terrance Drew attended the forum and expressed excitement about being able to interact directly with the future leaders of the country.

While sharing his experiences, he stated “Yesterday, I had the opportunity to make a presentation at the Pre-COP29 Youth Forum.”

He appreciated the positive and thoughtful contributions of the youth on the issue of climate change. He added that their such kind of participation has fills him with the hope that the future of St Kitts and Nevis is in the right and prosperous hands.

PM Drew encouraged all those young people and asked them to become staunch advocates and use their power to let their voices to be heard and respected. He also asked all the citizens to unite together in their fight against climate threats, aiming to lead St Kitts and Nevis towards their agenda of becoming a sustainable island state.

This 29^th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations (UN’s) Framework Convention on Climate Change included a packed programme. This programme featured several remarks from the ministers of the government, productive information sessions from climate experts, and a Q&A segment with Prime Minister, Terrance Drew.

The topics that were covered in the Pre-COP29 Youth Forum included the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, the Seven Key Pillars of the local Sustainable Island State Agenda, the National Development Planning Framework, How Does Climate Change Affect Bodies, What We Can Do to Build Community Resilience and many more.

The Minister of State responsible for Youth Empowerment, Isalean Phillip, also shared her views at the forum. She asked all the young individuals to work together and use their power to create a better and more sustainable future. She also highlighted the need to resonate the voice of young people in their collective fight against climate change.

Moreover, the Minister of Sustainable Development, Climate Action, Joyelle Clarke shed light on the significance of youth. She called them the “inheritors of the nation.” The Minister added that they are the future whose voices are important in shaping the nation.