STATEMENT BY SENATOR THE HONOURABLE KAMINA JOHNSON SMITH
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND FOREIGN TRADE
COVID-19 GLOBAL ACTION PLAN MINISTERIAL
8TH FEBRUARY 2023
Secretary Blinken,
Dr. Tedros, Colleague Ministers,
I am truly pleased to participate in this fourth Global Action Plan Ministerial and congratulate Secretary Blinken and the United States Government on this important initiative. It has been, and remains vital that we take stock of the lessons learnt, best practices and remaining gaps to prevent and combat future pandemics.
For Jamaica, like many other countries, the multiple challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic constrained our fiscal capacities and eroded our hard-won macroeconomic and human development gains. Jamaica nonetheless, weathered one of our largest economic contractions alongside drastic declines in inflows particularly from tourism and made the most balanced efforts possible to protect our most vulnerable citizens.
Jamaica’s comprehensive response was facilitated by the flexibility we had from accumulated cash resources and fiscal over-performance, as well as the generosity of partners, many of whom are present today. However, financing for development and financing for health security continue to be serious challenges for developing countries, and no country is truly safe and prepared until every country is safe and prepared. There is therefore a broad critical need for a global financial architecture which supports the response to, and recovery from this and future pandemics. Sustainable health security financing is clearly critical to this effort, so Jamaica welcomes the new pandemic fund and thanks those countries which have already made contributions. Access to such a fund, however, should consider a country’s socio-economic and environmental vulnerabilities, not simply GDP per capita.
Equity is also necessary to win the fight against this and future pandemics. The international community must avoid future monopolies on vaccine supplies and must establish systems, including trade-related policies, that mobilize the sharing of resources and knowledge at a rapid pace.
The pandemic also brought to the fore the need for a well-coordinated global response plan which addresses testing gaps, timely access to safe and effective therapeutics, amplification of the manufacture and distribution of PPE, and improvement of global surveillance systems. We welcome the broad based support which a response plan of this kind has gained.
Finally, notwithstanding that this is the fourth and final meeting of Foreign Ministers, there is still much to do. Let us build on what we have learnt over the past year, continue the discussions and work to create a healthier, safer, and more just world.
Thank you.
