YouSaid · the spoken record

Andrew Holness

lines on the record: 105
first: 2016-09-24
most recent: 2022-09-24
sittings or episodes: 6
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“The General Assembly is about developing the common global political will to see this time as a watershed moment to deploy and accelerate transformative solutions to the interlocking challenges we face. The people of the world are counting on us to lead and work together as one humankind — one love. Jamaica is committed to doing its part, in this its sixtieth year of membership and in the years ahead.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“We have been engaging countries across the world in our efforts to bolster resilience in global tourism, and Jamaica is proposing officially designating 17 February as Global Tourism Resilience Day every year. That annual commemoration would serve to encourage a consistent examination of resilience-building in the tourism sector, in the face of persistent global disruptions to sustainable tourism and development. We encourage the global community to work with us to commemorate the first Global Tourism Resilience Day in 2023. In conclusion, while our current reality presents complex challenges, I believe that the capacity and capabilities exist within in this body to overcome those challenges. The gap between the challenges we face and the solutions that exist or have yet to be created is the human will.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“A rotating seat for small island developing States would ensure that their unique perspectives, challenges and contributions are permanently available to the Council, thereby improving the quality of its service and work for our people. As a highly tourism-dependent country in the most tourism-dependent region of the world, Jamaica has invested heavily in building resilience in the tourism sector. During the pandemic we pioneered the introduction of resilient corridors on the island, which served as a focused, protocol-based and data-driven blueprint for safely reopening tourism and assisted greatly in fast-tracking our tourism sector’s recovery.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Russia’s military incursion into Ukraine can only be condemned as a flagrant violation of the Charter of the United Nations. We must never return to the days when military might is considered right. Jamaica strongly cautions against actions that could signal the demise of a peaceful multilateral order. I commend the Secretary-General and his team for the initiatives undertaken within his purview to fulfil relevant mandates. For their part, Member States must also address long-standing issues of reform and restructuring, including with regard to the Security Council. That critical organ must work more transparently and responsively. It must be more representative of the world of today and more prepared for the world of tomorrow.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“We recognize the complexities associated with that sensitive issue. Yet as with all complex global challenges, we must summon the determination to take bold and creative steps to meet the moment. Since Jamaica attained independence 60 years ago, multilateralism has been a core principle of its foreign policy. It continues to underpin our cooperation with Member States and other stakeholders within the United Nations system. Transformative global solutions can thrive only within a robust multilateral framework. The current global political and security environment is cause for great alarm. We have witnessed a nuclear armed super-Power, a permanent member of the Security Council, acting with impunity to launch a military offensive against its neighbour.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“The world cannot turn a blind eye to the systemic imbalances that persist after centuries of exploitation. If the moral standard today by which we claim a higher civilization acknowledges that actions in the past that generated wealth for some by depriving others of their freedom were wrong, then that same moral standard must lead those who benefited from the wrongs of the past and claim a higher civilization today to repair that which their morality now acknowledges to be an injustice. There is an inescapable duty to make economic redress for historical injustices and recognize the dignity of the States and peoples affected. The arc of international morality will not complete its bend for the peoples of the African diaspora without open and inclusive exchanges on the dispensation of reparative justice.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“We support a Haitian-led process to arrive at sustainable solutions to those challenges, and together with CARICOM and the international community, we are committed to moving beyond just standing with Haiti to working more closely with Haiti to provide consistent and meaningful support. Jamaica also once again joins the calls for discontinuing the economic, commercial and financial embargo on our closest Caribbean neighbour, Cuba. We cannot properly make use of this watershed moment to benefit the future without adequately addressing the past. Jamaica reaffirms its determination to further the call for the international recognition of reparative justice as a necessary path to healing, the restoration of dignity and progress for people of African descent.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“In the same way that there is concern about illegal drugs on the streets of rich countries, there must be concern about guns on the streets of developing countries such as Jamaica. The situation in our sister Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country of Haiti is one of deep concern for Jamaica and the region. The challenges there — political, economic, environmental and social — are longstanding and present serious obstacles to the peace and dignity of the Haitian people. Indeed, they present challenges for the region, particularly where crime and other security issues are concerned.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Whether among organized transnational criminal enterprises, street-level gangs or misguided young people in inner cities, the availability of guns is driving an ever-increasing homicide rate. In the same way that a war on drugs is being prosecuted in which we have been faithful partners in policing what comes through our waters or leaves our shores, there must now be a war on guns. Jamaica does not manufacture guns, but its population suffers from the effects of their wide availability. The countries that manufacture weapons that are available to the public must implement stronger measures to ensure that those weapons do not end up on the streets and in the hands of people for whom they were not intended.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Since the pandemic and the disruption in education, mental-health challenges are increasingly being expressed in violent ways. A propensity to try to resolve conflict or cope with social and mental stresses through violence requires a public health response, and Jamaica has not only engaged in global initiatives such as the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children, but it has also recently empanelled a National Commission on Violence Prevention to advise the Government on building an articulated public health and social services response. However, the situation is exponentially complicated and exacerbated by the influx of illegal and unregistered small arms into our country.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“We must prioritize bridging the digital divide both within and between countries, to create a level playing field and spur a transformation of critical sectors of the economy and the society. As the world prepares for an even more digitally engaged future, we must take effective steps to protect cyberspace and its physical infrastructure to ensure that it is safely and securely available to all users across the world. Cybercrime is an increasing threat and international cooperation is required to deal with it in a comprehensive manner. Jamaica fully supports the work under way in the United Nations to formulate a cybercrime treaty and come up with guidelines and a framework for cybersecurity. A number of countries in Latin America and the Caribbean are facing an epidemic of crime and violence.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Since 1994, Jamaica has welcomed representatives to the International Seabed Authority who have brought to life its important deliberations on the preservation and exploitation of the resources of the international seabed, which forms part of the common heritage of humankind. The pandemic has made it clear that for developing countries, major and inclusive transformations are required in the areas of technology and innovation. While all countries suffered during the pandemic, they did not all suffer equally. A country’s economic resilience was often a reflection of how digitally advanced it was. Many countries lag far behind in digital access, penetration and capability.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“As an island, Jamaica is keenly attuned to the importance of protecting and sustainably using its ocean and marine resources. We recognize that urgent action is needed to address the health and sustainability of the oceans. Jamaica joins the global community in celebrating the fortieth anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which opened for adoption in Montego Bay, Jamaica, on 10 December 1982. The Convention is a testament to the power of multilateralism. As the constitution for the ocean, the Convention has yielded immense benefit since its entry into force.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Climate change is an immediate existential threat for small island developing States such as Jamaica. Concerted action to slow down and halt global temperature rise is literally a question of our survival. While we continue to develop our own resilience and play our part in mitigating climate change, we cannot change the trajectory by our actions alone. Jamaica looks forward to the convening of the twenty- seventh session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Egypt later this year. We call on all countries to meet their commitments and contributions to climate targets. We also call on the countries of the developed world to increase their commitments and ambitions in climate financing, especially for adaptation and loss and damage.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“It has been a long and hard struggle, but we have lowered our ratio of debt to gross domestic product from stratospheric levels a decade ago, and we continue to pursue policies to ensure that we can drive down our debt. We are building fiscal buffers to help us respond quickly to shocks. We are working with our development partners using innovative financing tools, such as floating a catastrophe bond to insure us against climate disasters. Most important, we are mainstreaming climate resilience in all our infrastructure investments. Small island developing States such as Jamaica are always mindful that despite their best efforts to improve fiscal management and debt sustainability, a single climate event could wipe out 100 per cent of a country’s economy in a few hours.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“We fully support the work of the high-level panel developing a multidimensional vulnerability index. We eagerly anticipate an era of truly equitable access to concessional financing and other funding support that will enable us to invest in resilient infrastructure and create fiscal buffers so that we can withstand and recover quickly from the next economic, health or climate shock with little borrowing. Without the acknowledgment of vulnerability as a basis for access to finance, small island developing States will continue to struggle and will be unable to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Even as we call for reforms of the global financial architecture to account for vulnerability, Jamaica is exercising great fiscal discipline.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Small island developing States and some middle-income countries are particularly vulnerable to climate and external economic shocks, which have an oversized impact relative to their national budgets and an often-crippling impact on their infrastructure. In order for small island developing States to survive economic shocks and recover lost and damaged infrastructure, they are forced to borrow, only to be confronted again in a few years with another round of natural disasters that could wipe out significant infrastructure and force us to add to our already high debt. As I speak, I am monitoring a tropical system that is threatening the Caribbean. Jamaica believes that a comprehensive and targeted approach to accessing development finance is needed.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“It is our intention to bring that same energy to the work of the seventy-seventh session. We gather as the world faces unprecedented overlapping crises: the ongoing impact of the coronavirus disease pandemic; the war in Ukraine; inflation; debt; energy and food insecurity; and natural disasters fuelled by climate change. We do not all have the same capacity to withstand and recover from such shocks. Indeed, recovery has been uneven, and there has been a further widening of pre-existing development inequalities. As we search for solutions, let us acknowledge the differentiated needs and vulnerability of all members of our global family.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“I congratulate you, Sir, on your election to lead the General Assembly. You can be assured of our full commitment to the successful execution of your mandate, including from our position as a Vice-President this session. I also acknowledge your predecessor for his sterling stewardship of the Assembly during his presidency of hope. This year, Jamaica celebrates 60 years of independence and membership in the United Nations. We reflect with pride on the significant contributions that Jamaica, a small island developing State, has made to global efforts for peace, development and human rights, as well as in the fields of music, culture and sports. At home, our diamond jubilee of independence has provided the impetus for us to reignite our nation for greatness.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“This matter remains a priority for Jamaica, as we seek the assistance of our bilateral, regional and international partners in addressing the issue. Mr. President, The celebration of the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations, recognized the pivotal role of the Organization, to which we continue to assign new mandates and challenges. Let us, with equal fervour, resolve to equip the Organization with the necessary tools and financial resources, to enable it to effectively undertake its leadership role in safeguarding international peace and security, and in ensuring the economic and social well-being of mankind. Our common vision must be one in which the UN can act, and will act, as the catalyst for hope, for change, for peace and as an instrument of progress on behalf of all peoples of the world. Thank you.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“We call for the end to the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba. Mr. President, The illicit proliferation of small arms and light weapons remains a daily challenge to citizen security and a grave concern to Jamaica. The widespread availability of these arms and their ammunition is a key enabler of conflict and endemic crime, and represent a significant danger to our internal security, fostering criminal activities which destabilize the social order. We will work with all our partners to enhance the capacity of member states to address issues related to arms control and disarmament, by preventing the diversion of conventional arms to the illicit market.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“As the science and the research have shown, we must also see the oceans as playing a vital role as a climate mitigator. We support the development of a legally binding international instrument on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction. We look forward to the successful conclusion of negotiations of an international Treaty under the Convention, in 2022. Mr. President, We reaffirm the importance of multilateral approaches to the issues of peace and development, and the central role of the United Nations in their treatment. We support the resolution of disputes, whether in the Middle East, in the Caribbean or elsewhere, through dialogue and negotiated settlements.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“A more worrisome truth is the IPCC’s finding that human influence on the Earth’s climate has already led to unprecedented and irreversible changes. In their efforts to combat these changes, SIDS have been unable to access climate finance at the pace and scale necessary. We have instead, been forced to spend significant funds on loss and damage, with limited financial support from large emitters. Jamaica joins with all SIDS in calling for delivery of the $100 billion per annum, committed in 2015, by the international donor community. COP26 must deliver significant progress on the priority issues of climate financing, loss and damage, adaptation and mitigation, as well as the development of effective climate change plans. Mr. President, The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea recognises the ocean as the common heritage of mankind.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“As we strive to build forward stronger in this decade of action, we call for the commitment of the international community to a post COVID-19 reality that guarantees greater investment and financing to support development and economic growth in SIDS. We also seek the reorientation of the international financial system to align financing with sustainable development to accelerate our push to achieve our SDG Goals. Mr. President, Climate change remains one of the defining global challenges of our era and of even greater concern for future generations. Our ability to achieve sustainable development will be compromised if we do not find real solutions to the ongoing climate emergency. The demand for climate adaptation is increasing, but so is the fear that it will be unmet.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“This rationale underpins the basis for a multi-dimensional vulnerability index for SIDS and for the ongoing work by the UN on this matter, as endorsed by the General Assembly last year. Mr. President, The Caribbean Development Bank has reported that SIDS debts have risen to unsustainable levels since the pandemic. The number of Caribbean countries with a debt to GDP ratio above 60 per cent has increased from 9 to 13 with the average debt to GDP ratio increasing to 85 per cent. Jamaica maintains its call for a revision of the graduation criteria, as the classification system utilized by international financial institutions is simply not appropriate. We concur with the UN Secretary-General in his assessment, that graduation must be a reward, not a punishment.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“However, we will require adequate fiscal space and funding to achieve the SDGs and to be able to respond and recover from the health, social and economic implications of the pandemic, in light of high debt-servicing requirements. The continued use of measures of development which do not take into account the full spectrum of vulnerabilities of small island developing States is a major impediment to our efforts to attain the SDGs. We who live in one of the most disaster- prone regions of the world are more vulnerable than our income data suggests. We reiterate today, that consideration of our developmental level must be linked to our socioeconomic and environmental vulnerabilities.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“President, Last year, along with the Prime Minister of Canada and the UN Secretary- General, Heads of State and Government and key international partners, I convened the Financing for Development in the Era of COVID-19 and Beyond, Initiative. The outcome was ambitious, yet practical, with policy options to support COVID-19 response and recovery for consideration by the international community. It now remains for us to take action. Mr. President, For Jamaica, we anticipate real GDP recovery within four years, given the relative strength of our economy and the stimulus packages implemented both locally and internationally.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Universal, secure and affordable digital connectivity is needed to ensure inclusive and sustainable development. We, therefore advocate for an increased digital alliance within the global community and support the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on the Digital Cooperation Roadmap. Mr. President, The multiple challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, have placed severe pressure on our fiscal accounts, threatening our hard-won macroeconomic stability. The pandemic has demonstrated how quickly our development gains can be eroded and that much more needs to be done by the international community to secure a resilient future for the most vulnerable. We must retain hope in our ability to meet the targets for the SDGs, even with adjusted timelines. Mr.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“We are committed to the development of a sustainable framework to ensure the availability of human capital to meet the growing and changing needs of the economy. Jamaica is taking an inclusive approach to improve digital literacy, through increased access to, and use of ICT, by 50 per cent in public institutions, schools and key public areas in the country, over the next four years. We are engaging our private sector to improve the application of science, technology and innovation in educational institutions, towards national development. We believe that countries should be supported in their efforts to build robust and resilient digital infrastructure. Public investments of this sort can serve as a force multiplier in narrowing the gaps that result in inequitable developmental outcomes.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Accelerated digitalization, remote work and education, e-commerce and the virtual delivery of essential services, have allowed the digitally connected to thrive while severely exacerbating the inequalities faced by the digitally disconnected. This is particularly evident in our rural areas, along gender lines and generally among the poorest and most vulnerable. Addressing the negative consequences will require greater engagement of the public and private sectors in building foundations for long term development. Leaving no one behind today means leaving no one offline. That is why Jamaica has been working to ensure that the tools needed to adapt and thrive, are provided to our citizens. Mr. President The COVID-19 pandemic has also spurred innovation and new forms of collaboration across sectors.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“To date, however, it has not met expectations, as its noble ideals have been displaced by nationalistic endeavours, ironically, at a time when a pandemic requires global coordinated action. Notwithstanding, we believe in the essential merits of the Facility and call for urgent, increased international collaboration to avoid the widening gap in recovery across countries and regions. Mr. President, Today, we see some countries receiving a ‘digital dividend’ while others suffer the consequences of a ‘digital divide.’ There is need to address urgently the latter in support of COVID-19 adaptation measures, response and recovery efforts.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“While mitigation efforts to help to reduce transmission and mortality remain crucial, the long-term solution must be vaccines that are accessible to all. We know that vaccines only work if a critical threshold is attained. Sharing vaccines in a strategic manner, serves the global common good, as no country will be safe until all are safe. Jamaica supports a globally coordinated approach to the scaling up of production and equitable distribution of vaccines, with the United Nations at the core. We welcome the support received from bilateral and international partners and through the COVAX Facility. COVAX was conceived as an expression of multilateralism, bringing widespread aspirations of hope in the collective approach.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“President, The theme for this year’s debate with its emphasis on building resilience, is welcomed as the world searches for ways to manage the COVID-19 pandemic, with its dreadful impacts on all aspects of human existence. We must inspire hope to drive our emergence from the scourge of this pandemic better and stronger than we were before. Mr. President, At the core of building resilience is restoring the health and well-being of our people. The pandemic has exacerbated challenges in this area, especially for Small Island Developing States, like Jamaica, which already face limited resources in the health sector. Most regrettably, many lives have been lost and we extend condolences. There are increasing uncertainties as the pandemic continues and new variants emerge.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Your Excellency, Mr. Abdulla Shahid, I extend warm congratulations on your election to the Presidency of this 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. I also commend your predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Volkan Bozkir, for his work, during the historic 75th anniversary, a particularly difficult year for the United Nations and its membership, as we grappled with the insidious COVID19 pandemic. Your Excellency, you can be confident of Jamaica’s continued commitment to collaborate with the membership to seek viable solutions for persistent global challenges, notably the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We must take a fresh look at how we rebuild sustainably, attain the Sustainable Development Goals, and renew our focus on social justice and climate action. Mr.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“As we seek to create the future we want, we must summon our energies, talent and resources, to combat this global crisis with fortitude. We must, Mr. President, act collectively, decisively, and immediately. Our decisions now will determine the kind of future we create. Let us, together, do the right thing! I thank you.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“As the international community works in earnest to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, Jamaica welcomes efforts aimed at accelerating the equitable access to vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics. We believe that the ambition to expedite development of these tools must be matched with a determination to ensure that they are safe, effective and accessible to all. Mr. President, In keeping with our commitment to the full realization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Jamaica is deeply invested in finding solutions at the national, regional and multilateral levels to respond effectively and decisively to this pandemic. The immense challenges demand that, as a global community, we combine our efforts in a sustained and coordinated manner to identify opportunities for effective remedial action.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“It has compounded existing disparities in health, and increased the risks for the vulnerable, particularly the elderly and persons requiring medical care for non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Given our limited fiscal space we have adopted a whole of government approach to the pandemic, while mobilizing the support of all our citizens. The pandemic has brought to the fore the importance of investing in NCDs prevention and care. Bridging the investment gap for prevention and treatment of NCDs must therefore be an essential pillar for our response to the pandemic and health security. We thank our bilateral and international partners including PAHO/ WHO, for their invaluable support and advice in our efforts to address this health crisis and its socio-economic impact.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“We are committed to furthering our engagement with the UN and our international partners to implement the Spotlight Initiative and to increase our advocacy through mechanisms such as the Groups of Friends on: Women’s Economic Empowerment, Gender Parity, and Women, Peace and Security. Mr. President, There is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has propelled the United Nations to a critical crossroads. It has exposed and exacerbated the gross inequalities that still exist. It has further reinforced the need for the international community to scale-up cooperation to respond to the growing and deepening health crisis. The rapid spread of the novel coronavirus is exerting immense pressure on health-care systems globally, many of which were already under stress.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“President, We note with grave concern, UN reports that women and girls continue to face discrimination globally, and that there are persistent gaps in their participation in economic activity, decision making and political leadership. We have seen that the pandemic has deepened socio-economic inequalities and disproportionately impacted women and girls, leading to increased exposure to domestic violence and loss of livelihoods. We are taking measures to ensure that our national recovery efforts include a gender perspective and harness the full potential of all members of society as leaders, innovators and agents of economic, social and environmental change.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“President, Myself as co-convener of the High Level Event on Financing for Development in the Era of COVID-19 and Beyond, along with Secretary-General Guterres and Prime Minister Trudeau, remain committed to facilitate the process of developing concrete global solutions and actions to enable countries to respond and recover better from what the Secretary-General refers to as the world’s first “development emergency”. On September 29, when we convene the Second High Level Event, leaders will have an opportunity to highlight the collective measures they deem most effective for resolving the crisis and to also put forward recommendations for United Nations support. We look forward to hearing the actions proposed, including, those related to the closure of the “digital divide” with a view to enabling robust and resilient recovery. Mr.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“The pandemic has greatly accelerated the adoption of digital technologies and has provided developing countries in particular with an opportunity to leapfrog to a more digital economy. We call on the global community to respond with increased bi-lateral and multi-lateral cooperation in this area which promises exponential increase in human capacity and economic dividends. We are heartened by the understanding, cohesion and clarity for action displayed by the G20 Digital Economy Ministers in their July 2020 Declaration, the UNSG’s High Level Panel on Digital Cooperation and last month’s Report of the Task Force on Digital Financing of the SDGs. All hands and ideas must be on deck for our national and collective digital resilience. Mr.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“However, approximately half of the world’s population is still not connected to the internet. With school, work, healthcare, commerce and religious worship going online, persons without access to a reliable internet connection may be marginalised and disconnected entirely. Now more than ever before it is imperative that the “digital divide” not only be closed, but that countries are enabled to provide universal access to connectivity as well as the tools to allow their societies and economies to capture the power of digital technologies. Universal, secure and affordable connectivity is essential for greater participation in the global digital economy and for the attainment of inclusive and sustainable development.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“I therefore, convey Jamaica’s sincere appreciation to the United Nations for establishing its COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund and encourage donor countries to contribute. This Fund represents an excellent example of the effectiveness of multilateralism at work. Its inclusion of vulnerable middle income countries recognizes the reality that if one member of the global community fails, the potential exists for all others to be impacted. The entire international community will therefore reap benefits from the support provided. An area which requires particular support from such a fund or similar cooperation mechanism is the “digital divide”. The pandemic has forced schools and workplaces to close and people to practice social distancing. The internet has become our public square to meet and access critical information.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“As we strive to respond and recover stronger, we must re-imagine the way nations cooperate. Persistent global problems require consistent cooperation to achieve strategic global solutions. Small Caribbean States, which are designated as middle-income countries, but whose small economies are largely dependent on one or just a few industries, are most deeply affected by this crisis. They urgently need increased access to concessional and non-concessional financing, given their limited fiscal space, reduced availability of public resources for investment and the struggle to attract private investment. We see access to international development finance and the establishment of special funds to complement our response, as an imperative and we endorse the Secretary-General’s call for solidarity.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“President, The pandemic has highlighted pre-existing vulnerabilities and multiple structural weaknesses within our economies - large and small, rich and poor - and clearly demonstrated the systemic nature of risk worldwide. The great differences lie however, in our respective abilities to mitigate the development reversals arising from the multi-faceted impact of the pandemic, and to recover stronger. Developing countries must therefore devise strategies to respond effectively. We must rebalance our economies and rethink the nature of global cooperation so that we not only recover stronger but position ourselves to become more resilient to future systemic shocks. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the interconnectedness and interdependence of our world. It has underscored the need for strengthened and renewed multilateralism.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Prior to the advent of the pandemic, Jamaica had been recording significant progress in our pursuit of economic independence, through macro-economic stability, reduction in our high levels of public debt, poverty alleviation, human capital formation and increased employment opportunities, while protecting the vulnerable in our society. This placed us in a position to implement an initial social and economic stimulus programme, in addition to our early response to control the spread of the coronavirus and to treat those infected. However, our economy now faces the triple challenges of reduced revenues, increased health and social expenditures, and an ongoing climate crisis, which threatens to undo years of hard-won development gains. Mr.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Your Excellency, Mr. Volkan Bozkir, I extend congratulations on your election to the Presidency of this 75th Session of the General Assembly. I also commend your predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, for maintaining the focus on social justice and climate action as critical elements of the Decade of Recovery. Your Excellency, during your term of office, you can be confident of Jamaica’s continued commitment to the global recovery effort through a multilateral approach to finding viable solutions to the pandemic. Mr. President, Jamaica welcomes the significance and timeliness of this special theme to commemorate the 75th UN General Assembly. Indeed, the future to which we aspire is contingent on an effective and renewed multilateral system, in which the United Nations must play a pivotal role.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“We thank the Secretary-General and the United Nations as a whole for the support it has provided to his family at this time of bereavement. As a global family of nations, our collective commitment to the rules-based international order must remain steadfast. Sustainable development for all is attainable only through concerted effort and partnership. To that end, we must act decisively and expeditiously. This seventy-fourth session of the General Assembly represents a crossroads for decision-making and action. Let us not waver in our determination to make that a reality.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“We are equally concerned about the disarmament and proliferation landscape, particularly the gradual dismantling of long-standing disarmament treaties and its implications for international peace and security. We cannot ignore ongoing conflicts in such countries as Yemen, Afghanistan and Libya, where United Nations personnel continue to provide yeoman service in peacekeeping. We commend their dedicated efforts and respectfully recall the memory of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in seeking to advance the ideals of the United Nations of global peace and security. This includes one of our own Jamaican nationals, Mr. Clive Peck, who lost his life in the service of the United Nations as a result of a bombing that occurred in Benghazi, Libya, a few weeks ago.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“The Charter of the United Nations commits the international community to saving succeeding generations from the scourge of war and conflict of all kinds. Jamaica therefore supports the efforts of the Secretary-General and his Special Envoys for Syria and Myanmar and Personal Envoy for Western Sahara. We also support efforts aimed at rapprochement on the Korean peninsula and discourage any action that would reverse those efforts. We also remain conscious of the persistent tensions in the Middle East and Africa, where the attainment of peace and security has been far too elusive. Closer to home, we further reiterate the call for the discontinuation of the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed on our neighbour, Cuba.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)