01/10/2026
Minister for Education, Youth Development, Sports and Digital Transformation has called for urgent action to ensure the successful implementation of Saint Lucia's National Youth Policy and Action Plan 2025-2030, stressing that the country must now move beyond planning and focus on delivering tangible results for its young people.
The Minister made the remarks during the inaugural meeting of the Interagency Youth Development Coordinating Committee, held at the Bel Jou Hotel in La Pansee on Tuesday, September 29, 2026.
The meeting brought together representatives from government ministries and agencies aligned to the National Youth Policy, along with officials from the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College, the National Youth Council and other key stakeholders. It provided an opportunity for the committee to formally commence its work in support of the coordinated implementation of the Saint Lucia National Youth Policy and Action Plan 2025-2030.
Discussions focused on strengthening interagency collaboration, coordination mechanisms, and frameworks for monitoring and evaluation, all aimed at ensuring the effective delivery of programmes and initiatives outlined in the policy.
Addressing the gathering, the Minister acknowledged the considerable effort and financial resources invested in the development of the policy over the years.
,"For years, some of us have worked tirelessly, and I must say that as Minister responsible for Youth Development and Sports, we have invested thousands of dollars in this document" he stated.
However, he stressed that the true value of the policy would be measured by its implementation and impact on the lives of young people.
"My responsibility as Minister for Youth Development and Sports is to ensure that we move beyond having just a document and focus on implementation. The initiatives and programmes were not handed down by the hierarchy of the Department of Youth Development. They were created by young people for young people," he said.
The Minister emphasized that the next phase of the policy must be centered on action.
"For me, the ambition right now is to execute, execute, execute. If we don't execute, what we are seeing in our communities right now will continue to flourish, and we will continue to look back and say we could have made a difference," he declared.
He also delivered a strong message of accountability, warning that all those responsible for advancing the policy must contribute to its success.
"I am putting everybody on notice. Seeing that this Government is serious about change, if people individually are not pulling their weight, we will make changes," he said.
The Minister further stressed that young people could not afford further delays in the implementation of initiatives designed to improve their lives and opportunities.
"The time to act is not tomorrow, next year, or the next election. The time we have to help the young people of this country is right now. If we don't do it now, we will look back with regret and ask, 'What if we had acted?'"
He reminded staff within the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports that the Ministry remains under close scrutiny and that collective effort would be required to achieve the policy's objectives.
"We are under the microscope. For those who have worked tirelessly, we must all pull our weight. If we are not prepared to do so, then change will definitely come to the Ministry," the Minister warned.
The Interagency Youth Development Coordinating Committee is expected to play a pivotal role in coordinating stakeholder efforts and ensuring the successful implementation, monitoring and evaluation of programmes and initiatives under the National Youth Policy and Action Plan 2025-2030, as Saint Lucia seeks to create greater opportunities and positive outcomes for its young people.
