Caption: Minister Johnson Smith addressing the 8th biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference held at the Jamaica Conference Centre in Downtown Kingston in June of this year.
I am happy to take this opportunity to bring clarity to the concept, role and functions of the new Council and to dispel the misconceptions which have emerged over the last few weeks both locally and overseas.
Formal Diaspora engagement has, to date, been focused only on the countries where the majority of our nationals reside: Canada, the UK, and the USA. Over the last decades however, increased globalization has provided new opportunities in non-traditional areas and our Diaspora is now widely dispersed across several other regions of the world. Jamaicans residing in non-traditional locations have been increasingly expressing a desire to be included in the mainstream of Diaspora engagement activities. We are pleased to be responding to this interest, by engaging and including Jamaicans from across the globe.
The sentiments of the community were endorsed at the meeting of the Diaspora Advisory Board Members held in January of this year. All Board Members were requested to submit ideas and inputs for the creation of a new and more inclusive structure. Arising from consultations with the incumbent Diaspora Advisory Board Members, as well as other non-governmental and private sector stakeholders, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade prepared a Concept Note and Terms of Reference for the evolution of the Diaspora Advisory Board into a wider more broad-based and globally inclusive body.
As has always been the case of the Diaspora Advisory Board since 2004, the new Council will be chaired by the Minister with responsibility for Diaspora Affairs. The Council is not and was never intended to be a political body. Indeed, the matter of political representation for the Diaspora cannot be addressed through the Council as it would properly require constitutional amendment based on consultations with Jamaicans at home and in the Diaspora.
The principal role and function of the Global Jamaica Diaspora Council is to create pathways for increased engagement with and involvement of the Jamaican Diaspora across the world. It is a more expansive role for the Diaspora in terms of their involvement at the policy formulation level across several sectors of Jamaica’s development, and will include supporting implementation of the National Diaspora Policy when it has been adopted, including on matters affecting the well-being of the Diaspora in the countries where they reside.
With respect to the elections process for Council Members in Canada, UK and the USA, a more transparent process has been developed. For those persons who have submitted paper registration, their information is collected by the Electoral Committees and uploaded electronically to the Global Jamaica Diaspora Council platform. I must underscore that the Ministry is not managing the process but remains supportive, as it always has done in the past. The elements were taken from best practices utilised in Southern region of the United States and tested in the North East USA and Canada in the last elections held in 2017. This uniformed process will be used in all three major Diaspora locations and is driven by the Chairs of the Electoral Committees in all the regions. These Committees are comprised of volunteer Diasporans. In respect of voter registration, this is mainly an online process and there are sufficient safeguards to ensure the security of the Diaspora’s data.
Jamaica’s Diaspora engagement is one characterised by symbiotic partnership and mutual understanding. The Global Jamaica Diaspora Council is therefore, a ground breaking initiative designed to be a model for greater inclusivity for Jamaicans across the globe. I am extremely proud to be leading the Ministry through a period in which we are making such progress.
Sincerely,
Kamina Johnson Smith Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Jamaica
