Programme Areas

The Commonwealth Youth Programme Caribbean Centre (CYPCC) functions through three Strategic Programme Areas which are:

• Youth Work, Education and Training
• Youth Enterprise and Sustainable Livelihoods
• Governance, Development and Youth Networks

The 2006-2008 Strategic Plan sets three long-term goals for CYP that reflect the emerging emphasis on the promotion of youth development and empowerment in ways that are mutually reinforcing to young people and their countries and communities.

Goal 1: To empower young people to play a more active and participatory role in national, social, political and economic development in member countries.

This goal will be achieved through CYP's work on Youth Enterprise and Sustainable Livelihoods (YESL) and will focus on:

1. Enterprise and entrepreneurship development
2. Information and communications technology (ICT) initiatives
3. Addressing social exclusion
4. HIV/AIDS

Goal 2: To enhance policy development and implementation through the active participation of young people in youth networks, governance and other decision-making fora in member countries.

This goal will be achieved through CYP's work on Governance, Development and Youth Networks (GDYN) and will be channelled through two programme areas:

1. National Youth Policy and Action Plans
2. Strengthening of governance structures

Goal 3: To enhance human resources and intellectual capital to promote and support youth development.

This goal will be achieved through CYP's work on Youth Work Education and Training (YWET), delivered through the following programme:

1. Professionalising Youth Work

The programme framework incorporates four crosscutting programmes:

• ICT Development: to strengthen the capacity of young people and their networks, governments and civil society to take advantage of ICT to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of youth development programmes and interventions.
• Capacity-Building and Institutional Development: to strengthen the capacity of young people and their networks, governments and civil society partners to develop and deliver value-added youth development and empowerment.
• Research-based Enquiry: to strengthen the capacity of young people and their networks, governments and civil society partners to utilise the evidence-based approach to youth policy development and implementation.
• Youth Development through Sport: CYP will also use sports and physical activity to help deliver its three long-term goals; in particular, in relation to the areas of addressing social exclusion, HIV/AIDS and professionalising youth work.

The CYP Programme will also incorporate established crosscutting programmes of the Commonwealth Secretariat relating to gender equality and equity, communications and marketing within all other programmes through specific strategies and approaches.