Ms. Persad-Bissessar spoke in her capacity as Chairperson of the Commonwealth, at a function which she co-hosted here.
She said she plans to discuss the idea with Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma, with a view to having the forum where youths debate and influence policy.
The proposal was well received by officials at the function.
Josephine Ojiambo, Kenya’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, said she was happy at the idea, which, she stated, will give youths of her country a forum to express themselves.
Persad-Bissessar said: “I intend to find ways and means where the best practices that relate to the development of women and girls in the Commonwealth are documented and shared with each other.”
She cited the success of Grameen Bank of Bangladesh as an example.
On other matters, she stressed that lasting peace cannot be achieved unless large population groups find ways to break out of poverty.
“We can together change the fortunes of our brothers and sisters in the Commonwealth,” said Ms. Persad-Bissessar before an audience of several leaders of the 54-member group.
She said she plans to lift the profile of the Commonwealth “for we have proven to be an organisation capable of changing and to lifting the status of people everywhere.”
She noted the fact that the Commonwealth represents 28 per cent of the membership of the United Nations, with a population of 2.1 billion which is a third of the number of people in the world.
“This not only makes us a formidable organisation but also endows us all as members to work as families do to ensure that the true pillars upon which democracy is founded and flourish are supported,” said Ms. Persad-Bissessar.
She stressed that the Commonwealth was rich “in terms of human values and traditions.”
The function, a side event during the United Nations General Assembly, was co-hosted by William Hague, Foreign Minister of the United Kingdom, and Gary Quinlan, Permanent Representative of Australia to the UN.
Persad-Bissessar will hand over the chairmanship of the Commonwealh to Australia at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference (CHOGM) in Australia in November next year.
Secretary General Sharma said there are good grounds to have faith in the Indian Government with respect to hosting the upcoming Commonwealth Games.
He said all Commonwealth nations are participating in the Games, saying that for athletes it is “an inspiration and an aspiration.” The Games have earned a label as the “Friendly Games,” Sharma said.
Ken Ali
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