Senior Reporter
jesse.ramdeo@cnc3.co.tt
The United Nations General Assembly president Dennis Francis is encouraging the nation’s youth to take an active role in shaping the future.
Francis made the comment yesterday while addressing students of his alma mater, Woodbrook Secondary School.
Francis underscored the UN’s commitment to supporting youth development through initiatives and programmes. His call to action comes amid growing concerns about global issues including climate change and food security.
“Get involved in areas related to the work of the UN because it isn’t that the UN is out there and we are here. The things we discuss and agreements we make at the UN will impact your daily life like climate change, like sea level rise, like the fact that we are losing plant and animal species in the world at an alarming rate,” he said.
Francis noted that urgent attention must be placed on preserving local flora and fauna. He warned of the consequences if the future generation turned a blind eye to the looming threats caused by changes to the environment.
“When we were children, this place was filled with butterflies, you’d see them in swarms of migration and I don’t know the last time I saw a butterfly in Trinidad. We are losing species and we are losing species largely because of human behaviour, climate change is a creative crisis,” he added.
Francis also noted the threats of rising sea levels on Caribbean islands.
“In the Pacific region, for instance, many small islands like Trinidad and Tobago have entered into agreements with other countries, with Australia, to take their population in the event their land should disappear beneath sea,” he explained.
Francis urged the youth to engage with their communities and pursue goals that would help promote the country’s resilience.
