The United Nations has formally inaugurated fifteen emerging leaders from across the Eastern Caribbean into its 2026 Youth Advisory Group (YAG), marking a significant advancement in institutionalizing youth participation within regional development frameworks. This fifth cohort of appointees represents a strategic partnership between the UN Sub-Regional Team and young visionaries from nine territories: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Operating as a formal advisory mechanism, the YAG enables youth advocates aged 18-30 to directly influence policy formulation, program design, and implementation strategies across national and regional levels. The group’s mandate aligns with the UN’s Youth2030 strategy, creating structured pathways for young professionals to contribute expertise across critical domains including climate resilience, mental health services, gender equity, disability inclusion, educational reform, food security systems, crime prevention, and indigenous rights protection.
UN Resident Coordinator Simon Springett emphasized the transformative potential of youth engagement, stating: ‘Our youth represent both our present and future capacity for innovation. Previous cohorts have demonstrated exceptional capabilities in driving sustainable development initiatives, yet we’ve merely scratched the surface of their potential contributions to governance structures and international institutions.’
Returning Chair Rianka Chance from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines outlined an ambitious vision for the group’s expanded influence: ‘We are evolving beyond advisory participation toward actual policy-shaping and systems-change leadership. The YAG must become a catalytic force for cross-territorial collaboration, SDG advancement, and meaningful youth inclusion in decision-making processes from local to global spheres.’
The selection process prioritized inclusive representation from marginalized communities, incorporating advocates specializing in indigenous identity preservation and social justice reform. Throughout their one-year tenure, members will function as official UN Youth Advocates, contributing to the implementation of regional development blueprints including the Youth Development Strategy and Multi-Country Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework. Their responsibilities will encompass policy dialogue, community outreach, and representation at international forums aimed at accelerating progress toward the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
The appointed representatives include: Rianka Chance (Chair, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines), Melissa Edwards (Anguilla), Amelia Williams and Shaquan O’Neil (Antigua and Barbuda), Kalan Alleyne and Jovanaa Ifill (Barbados), Angeleah Cupid (BVI), Loik Charles and Emmana Jeffers (Dominica), Kerri-Ann Marrast, Zinzee Noel, and Raheem Smith (Grenada), Hasani McDonald (St. Kitts and Nevis), and Davianne Alexander with Ethan Leandre (Saint Lucia).