The Parliament of the Cayman Islands, in collaboration with the Youth Parliament Organising Committee, will be hosting 25 students for the 18th Youth Parliament Debate, scheduled for Monday, 10th March 2025 starting at 10:00 a.m. at the House of Parliament.

This annual event provides youth across the Cayman Islands with the opportunity to engage in legislative debate, policy discussions, and the democratic process. Over the past five months, participating students have been preparing by learning Parliamentary roles, practices, and procedures.

Hon. Katherine Ebanks-Wilks, Chair of the Youth Parliament Organising Committee, praised the students for their dedication to learning about the Parliament and for sharing their voices. “The Youth Parliament is a testament to the passion, intellect, and commitment of young Caymanians in shaping their future. Their dedication to learning the intricacies of Parliamentary procedure and engaging in thoughtful, solution-driven debate is truly inspiring.”

The motions for this debate have been entirely selected and developed by the students themselves, without Parliament staff’s input. While they received guidance on Parliamentary writing and debate techniques, the topics and arguments are their own, reflecting the priorities and concerns of Cayman’s youth.

• Download the programme for the live debate: PDF

Over the last five months, several Members of Parliament and senior leaders within the Civil Service have met with the students to teach them about their roles and how to debate. Hon. Joseph Hew, Hon. Kenneth Bryan, Ms. Barbara Conolly, Mr. Christopher Saunders, Mrs. Sabrina Turner, Mr. Andre Ebanks and Mr. Roy McTaggart each met with the students during their regular Tuesday afternoon sessions, as did Hon. Samuel Bulgin and Dr Dax Basdeo.

The students have chosen the following Private Member’s Motions for the debate:

1. A Multi-Faceted Approach to Reducing the Cost of Living and Ensuring Economic Relief for Caymanians
2. Implementation of a Sex Offender Registry and Enhanced Victim Protection Measures

Youth Parliamentarian two-time Premier, Miss Jhenelle Colquhoon, expressed her enthusiasm for the programme: “Youth Parliament has allowed me to connect with like-minded young persons from across our islands, engage in meaningful discussions on national issues, and deepen my understanding of our democratic processes. Serving as Youth Parliament Premier for a second time is both an honour and a responsibility, one that I embrace with great enthusiasm. I look forward to debating these crucial motions and advocating for the voices of our youth, and I am profoundly grateful to the Parliamentary staff and Members of Parliament for their mentorship and support.”

As is customary each year, the live debate will be taking place on Commonwealth Day. The Commonwealth organisation selected the theme of Together We Thrive, which the organisation added is to “celebrate the enduring spirit of the Commonwealth Family – 56 independent member countries united by shared values enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter”.

The public is invited to tune in to the proceedings through the live broadcasts on the Government’s YouTube channel, CIGTV cable network, and Radio Cayman. The public is also welcome to attend in person at the House of Parliament after registering with Security.

For more information on this year’s Youth Parliament, including a list of the participating students and access to the Motions, visit the Youth Parliament page: https://parliament.ky/commonwealth-parliamentary-association/youth-parliament-programme/youth-parliament-program-2024-2025/.