KINGSTON, Jamaica— State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Alando Terrelonge, is encouraging more young people to get involved in the governance of the country, to ensure a better future for themselves and the generation of tomorrow.

“Getting involved in causes and in politics is getting involved in your own lives. The youth of Jamaica, the youth across the world must recognise that by participating, they are ensuring their own future and that by not participating, you diminish the quality of life that you and your children will live,” he said.

Terrelonge was speaking to some 300 high-school and university students at an event to mark United Nations Day 2019 at the Courtleigh Auditorium in St Andrew, on Thursday (October 24).

The event, held under the theme, ‘I am the SDGs’ facilitated dialogue on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and how young people can lead actions to achieve the targets and, by extension, the National Development Plan, Vision 2030 Jamaica.

The SDGs are a collection of 17 global goals set by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015 that are to be attained by 2030. They cover social and economic development issues, including poverty, hunger, health, education, global warming, gender equality, water, sanitation, energy, urbanization, environment and social justice.

Terrelonge pointed out that young people have an important role in ensuring that the goals are attained.

“You determine the government that you get; you determine if you will get a government that is focused on promoting the SDGs.

“You determine if you get a government that understands and appreciates climate change; you determine if your children will live in a world where plastic is banned, where we speak of the ocean and the blue economy, where we speak of planting trees to ensure that the harmful effects of climate change are negated,” he noted.

United Nations Resident Coordinator ad interim, Mariko Kagoshima, in her remarks, encouraged young people to see how they can contribute to Jamaica’s implementation of the SDGs.

“With just 10 years to go, we thought it prudent to bring you all together in a national conversation to reflect on what each one of us can contribute to make this a reality in Jamaica. Young people have demonstrated tremendous ability to trigger global movement towards SGDs,” she said.

UN Day marks the anniversary of the entry into force of the UN Charter in 1945, which is the founding document of the organisation.

-JIS