Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister, Senator the Honourable Kamina Johnson Smith departed the island for Medellin, Colombia where she is participating in the 49th Regular Session of the General Assembly of the Organization of American States, to be held from 26th – 28th June.
The three-day meeting is being held under the theme, “Innovating to Strengthen Multilateralism in the Hemisphere.”
Referring to the importance of the session, Johnson Smith noted, “The General Assembly provides a forum for Jamaica to engage, at the level of Foreign Ministers, on issues of critical importance to the region and to determine and agree on strategies to address current challenges. Jamaica’s participation at the highest level ensures that our national interests are taken into account within the context of decisions taken by the General Assembly.”
Discussions during the General Assembly focused primarily on the adoption of important resolutions towards the promotion of human rights in the region; the strengthening of democracy and security in the hemisphere and the financing of Organization’s Programme Budget for the year 2020. Jamaica’s interest in the foregoing are aligned with our own strategic plan for sustainable development, and our guiding principles of equity, social cohesion, transparency and accountability. Foreign Ministers will also be expected to give consideration to ongoing issues in the region, including the crisis in Venezuela and Nicaragua.
Minister Johnson Smith is supported by a delegation from the Ministry as well as representatives of the Permanent Mission of Jamaica to the OAS, and the Embassy of Jamaica in Colombia.
