Washington, D.C., May 2, 2024. The second Regular Meeting of 2024 of the Summit Implementation Review Group (SIRG), held in Washington, D.C., concluded with a call from the youth to the Member States of the Organization of American States (OAS) to prioritize support for youth participation, entrepreneurship, and investment in youth. This emphasis is crucial as it reinforces the role of youth in addressing the “challenges, hurdles, and opportunities leading up to the X Summit of the Americas,” to be held in the Dominican Republic in October 2025.

Diara Nadal, CEO of the Academy Piensa and Youth Spokesperson at the Second Regular Meeting of the SIRG, mentioned that 73 million young people are unemployed worldwide, citing United Nations data. Faced with this concerning reality, Nadal added that “it highlights the urgency of taking steps to ensure a sustainable employment future for the next generations. Young people long to fully live on a healthy planet, in prosperous societies and economies that allow them to reach their full potential.”

Youth, as a social actor and Partner for Prosperity in the Summit of the Americas process, plays a key role in defining priorities and improving public policy on issues concerning them, through the Young Americas Forum Program developed since 2005 by the Young Americas Business Trust (YABT).

Over its 20 years, the Young Americas Forum has promoted youth participation and action, enabling 61,664 young people from across the continent to provide their policy recommendations and innovative solutions in the processes of six Summits of the Americas, including  the work on the road to the next Summit in the Dominican Republic.

“Young people crave guidance, a clear path, and a strategy to achieve their goals, and this is where YABT and Piensa step in as reliable allies,” affirmed Nadal, in her address at the headquarters of the OAS in front of representatives from governments and multilateral organizations.

Youth holds a permanent seat at the SIRG Meetings, contributing their perspectives on the discussed topics that demand immediate actions to accelerate the implementation of the mandates, in addition to presenting innovative solutions that young entrepreneurs are developing.

Nadal concluded her intervention by stating, “Let us always remember that entrepreneurship and innovation are the pillars that support the future of our society. Let us continue to trust in them.”

YABT develops strategic partnerships with various private sector companies, governments, and multilateral organizations, committed to betting on youth. An example of this is the partnership between YABT and Banreservas, which made it possible for Diara Nadal as a young Dominican entrepreneur to represent the diversity of youth voices from the hemisphere during this SIRG meeting.

To access the full speech of the Youth Spokesperson (In Spanish), click HERE

The Photo Album is available HERE

For more information or to explore partnership opportunities to invest in youth development on the road to the X Summit of the Americas, contact us via edgar.maestre@yabt.net