The YAG is a broad based and expansive regional group of young people, in particular those who are vulnerable and live in extremely difficult circumstances. The group provides a youth consultative forum on UNFPA policies and programmes in the English and Dutch Speaking Caribbean region. It is made up of National Youth Advisory Groups where possible and a Regional Advisory Group of selected young people from the different countries served by
UNFPA.
The purpose of the Youth Advisory Group is:
To facilitate open dialogue and exchange among youth and between UNFPA Management and Staff and youth where UNFPA is advised on the diverse range ofyouth issues and strategic opportunities and actions to address them.
Specifically, the objectives of the Youth Advisory Group are to:
- Bring a youth perspective on issues affecting Caribbean youth so as to ensure that their rights and needs are acknowledged and promoted within the UNFPA programme for the English and Dutch Speaking Caribbean(EDSC) and the overall work of the UNFPA Sub-Regional Office;
- Facilitate knowledge-sharing about best practices and lessons learned for moving the agenda of young people’s rights, gender equality and sexual and reproductive health forward;
- Develop and promote youth-adult partnerships within UNFPA to enhance programme delivery at the national and regional levels and to empower young women and men;
- Improve young people’s understanding of the principles and Plan of Action of the ICPD, UNFPA’s mandate and the organisations’ efforts to improve the lives of young people;
- Strengthen the skills of young people (especially vulnerable and disadvantaged young people) in areas that include leadership, decision-making, communication, problem-solving and advocacy, thereby facilitating their effective participation in National Developmental processes.
The expected results from the Youth Advisory Group are :
- Overall improvement in the youth-friendliness and responsiveness of the Programme of Cooperation for the English and Dutch Speaking Caribbean (EDSC) and the UNFPA Sub-Regional Office’s policies and programmes to address young people’s rights and needs; and
- Improved capacity and confidence of young people, especially the most vulnerable, to participate in National Development processes.