SINT MAARTEN (HARBOUR VIEW, PHILIPSBURG) — His Excellency the Governor of Sint Maarten, Ajamu G. Baly, will host the 2026 Governor's Symposium on Friday, September 25, 2026, with the theme “Youth Development: Building Our Future, Building Our Youth”.
The Governor’s Symposium is an annual event initiated by the Governor of Sint Maarten to promote dialogue, innovation, and collaboration on issues critical to the country’s development. It serves as a platform for invited stakeholders — government, civil society, and the private sector — to focus attention on, raise awareness of, and generate discourse on issues affecting the Sint Maarten community.
This year’s Symposium will examine how Sint Maarten can strengthen the environment in which young people learn, develop, participate, and prepare for adulthood. The theme was selected in light of several factors affecting the country’s youth and its long-term development, including access to education and professional opportunities, the continued outflow of young people abroad and the resulting challenge of retaining skilled and educated persons, youth vulnerability, and the continued outflow of young people abroad.
These factors directly inform the Symposium’s core focus: how a small country with limited natural and financial resources can strengthen the quality and quantity of its human capacity and move from brain drain toward brain gain.
The symposium will cover a range of interconnected topics, including identity and belonging, education and future readiness, mental health and emotional well-being, technology and social media, vocational development, sports, arts, youth safety, civic participation, and opportunities for young people to contribute to Sint Maarten.
Preparatory activities, including youth consultations, podcast discussions, and outreach to include the perspective of the youth, have been carried out and will continue to take place to provide young people with opportunities to share their experiences, concerns, and recommendations and to ensure a broad and inclusive perspective on youth development form the basis of the Symposium’s discussions.
This year the Governor’s Symposium Organizing Committee, installed to prepare the Symposium, is comprised of Mr. Garrick Richardson (Chair), Mr. Jair Conner, Ms. Julienne Augusty, Ms. Cassandra Janssen, Mrs. Soraya Agard-Lake, Ms. Melanie Choisy, Ms. Marcellia Henry, Mrs. Kimberly Dort-Brown, Ms. Marsha Richardson, and Mr. Martijn Meijers (Aide-de-Camp to the Governor).
The Committee has also installed a Youth Sounding Board that will serve as an advisory and participatory body that will work closely with the Symposium Organizing Committee in order to amplify youth perspectives, support co-creation of activities, and contribute to youth-centered outcomes.
His Excellency the Governor, Mr. Ajamu Baly, emphasized the importance of providing young people with meaningful opportunities to help shape their future by sharing their voices, ideas and experiences.
In recognition of International Youth Day, August 12, the Governor underscored the importance of ensuring that young people are heard, are able to participate meaningfully, and are empowered to contribute to the future of Sint Maarten. The 2026 Governor’s Symposium will be held on Friday, September 25, 2026, at the American University of the Caribbean (AUC) in Cupecoy.
Further details on the program and participation will be announced as preparations continue.
