Young entrepreneurs and leaders from the Americas gathered in Port of Spain on April 15th and 16th to discuss about important issues that affect their lives. This event brought together more than three hundred participants in the Youth Forum of the Americas.

The Youth Forum of the Americas, an official event of the Fifth Summit of the Americas, creates a platform for young people to deliver their recommendations to the Hemisphere’s Heads of State and Government, meeting in Trinidad and Tobago.

The Youth Forum of the Americas was organized by the Young Americas Business Trust (YABT), a non-governmental, non-profit organization that works in cooperation with the Organization of American States (OAS), for this event, together with the National Secretariat for the Fifth Summit of the Government of Trinidad & Tobago, the OAS General Secretariat and international partners.

The Forum brought together young people from all across America, to promote leadership, entrepreneurship, innovation and self-empowerment. The current economic crisis affects young people and requires an urgent and concerted action among governments, private sector and civil society.

The opening was a joint ceremony between the Youth Forum and the Private Sector Forum. The Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, The Honourable Patrick Manning and OAS Secretary General H.E. Jose Miguel Insulza gave the initial speeches of the events.

The Youth Forum was attended by speakers such as Hon. Gary Hunte, Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs of Trinidad & Tobago, H.E. Albert Ramdin, Assistance Secretary General of the OAS, and representatives of the private sector of the Americas, the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development (SEDI - OAS), the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the World Bank Institute among others.

Young people themselves were the principal actors, being present on each panel and leading the discussions towards the Youth Declaration and Plan of Action of Port of Spain, 2009. The Forum dialogues were centered on topics concerning youth entrepreneurship, the promotion of technologies for connecting America, corporate social responsibility, business best practices, migration, ethic in business, opportunities for young people in energy, environment and new sources of energy development.

The process that led to the Forum consisted of Four Sub Regional Dialogues held in Trinidad and Tobago, Paraguay, Dominican Republic and Mexico, during 2008. It also conducted a roundtable in Washington, DC late last year, where youth presented their recommendations before the OAS Permanent Council about the Declaration of Commitments and the theme of this Summit: "Securing the future of our citizens through promoting human prosperity, energy security and environmental sustainability."