The Fourth Caribbean Ministerial Forum on School Safety

Time

8:30 AM to 5:30 PM (St Lucia | UTC-4)

Overview

The Fourth Caribbean Ministerial Forum on School Safety was held in Saint Lucia on 14-15 May 2025 under the theme "Increased collaboration and action for school safety in the Caribbean." The Forum brought together Ministers of Education from 9 Caribbean Safe School Initiative (CSSI) signatory countries, regional organizations, youth delegates, civil society, private sector representatives, and international partners to reaffirm their commitment to safer and more resilient schools.

Hosted by the Government of Saint Lucia, the Forum was co-organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport of Sint Maarten; the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA); the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR); the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF); and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), with support from the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO).

The Forum served as a key milestone in advancing the Caribbean Regional Roadmap on School Safety and accelerating the implementation of the Comprehensive School Safety Framework (CSSF). It featured the launch of the new CSSI Monitoring Tool, the presentation of regional progress, and a review of Forum Decisions from previous editions. Ministers engaged in high-level dialogue on resilient school infrastructure, the integration of multi-hazard early warning systems into education, and strategies to prevent violence in and around schools.

The event placed strong emphasis on systemic approaches to risk and youth inclusion. Youth delegates presented recommendations from the Third Youth Forum, highlighting the need for participatory governance in school safety planning. Insights and outcomes from the Forum will feed directly into the Safe Schools Ministerial Round Table at the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GP2025).

Objectives

• Provide a platform for dialogue, learning and joint decision-making among Ministers of Education and stakeholders.
• Share progress on the implementation of the Caribbean Regional Roadmap on School Safety.
• Foster cross-sectoral collaboration and identify opportunities for regional partnerships.
• Launch and promote the CSSI Monitoring Tool to guide policy and implementation.
• Promote the integration of Early Warnings for All (EW4All) into the education sector.
• Amplify youth voices and their role in advancing the school safety agenda.

Event Outcomes

• Presentation of national and regional progress on school safety.
• Launch of the CSSI Monitoring Tool and presentation of a regional monitoring exercise.
• Renewed regional commitments to CSSI and the Comprehensive School Safety Framework.
• Concrete recommendations and agreements reflected in the Forum Outcome Document.
• Inputs to be presented at the Ministerial Session on School Safety at GP2025.