With an agenda focused on identity, culture, rights, participation and social justice, Afro-descendant youth from Latin America and the Caribbean gathered in Colón, Panama, to share experiences, identify common challenges and build proposals aimed at strengthening youth leadership and their influence on the decisions that will shape the future of the region. The 2026 Afro-Latin Caribbean Youth Congress opened a regional space for dialogue and coordination that placed at its centre the priorities, aspirations and contributions of Afro-descendant youth.
UNESCO’s participation, led by Esther Kuisch Laroche, Director of the UNESCO Regional Office in Santiago and Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean, reaffirmed the Organization’s commitment to this agenda both through its mandate and through its co-leadership of the Regional Working Groups on Youth and on Populations Left Behind, areas whose convergence was clearly reflected in the objectives of this meeting.
As its main outcome, the participating youth drafted the Declaration of the Afro-Latin Caribbean Youth Congress, a document that sets out their priorities and recommendations for strengthening the inclusion, participation and recognition of Afro-descendant youth in the region. The Declaration will contribute to various regional and global processes scheduled for 2026, including the OAS General Assembly, the United Nations General Assembly and the UN Youth Forum.
“This Congress represented a fundamental opportunity to listen to, recognize and support the leadership of Afro-descendant youth in Latin America and the Caribbean. At UNESCO, we reaffirm our commitment to the full participation of all young people in building societies that are more just, inclusive and sustainable,” said Kuisch Laroche.
The meeting took place on 29 and 30 May at the Colón Art and Culture Centre (CACCO), a heritage site that gave the event strong symbolic value. The choice of Colón acknowledged the historical, cultural and social role of Afro-descendant communities in Panama and across the region.
During the two working days, the participating delegations addressed issues related to education, culture, human rights, political participation, innovation, social justice and sustainable development, exchanging experiences and proposals to move towards societies that are more inclusive, representative and free from discrimination.
The Congress was organized by the Government of Panama, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture, together with the United Nations system, its agencies, funds and programmes in Latin America and the Caribbean, especially the United Nations Country Team in Panama, and the Colón Art and Culture Centre. It also received support from CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean and the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI).
The initiative forms part of the 25th anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, the Second International Decade for People of African Descent 2025–2034, and the United Nations youth policy, instruments that promote concrete action against racism, racial discrimination and structural inequalities.
read more: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/unesco-highlighted-leadership-afro-descendant-youth-regional-meeting-held-panama?hub=701
