During a ceremony at the close of the Inaugural Jamaica-UK Strategic Dialogue, Jamaica’s Foreign Minister, Senator the Honourable Kamina Johnson Smith and the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Secretary, The Right Honourable James Cleverly, signed a framework for a new Violence Prevention Partnership.
Speaking at the Dialogue, Foreign Secretary Cleverly said, “The UK Government, through the FCDO, is committing up to £15 million over the next six years to support Jamaica in its efforts to reduce violence and its impact on society.”
Minister Johnson Smith welcomed the development, saying, “Jamaica and the United Kingdom have a longstanding relationship that has matured to support our national development agenda. Jamaica welcomes the enhancement and optimisation of our partnership with UK to yield more tangible results toward our national development goals. This additional support and focus on security will result in a more enabling development environment for all Jamaicans.”
Foreign Secretary Cleverly also announced funding of up to £7 million for climate finance, to help strengthen Jamaica’s climate resilience.
With regard to the upcoming 75th anniversary of Windrush, the Ministers discussed the invaluable contributions of Jamaicans and other Caribbean persons to Britain’s post-war recovery and development.
Minister Johnson Smith and Foreign Secretary Cleverly also addressed matters including efforts to restore peace and stability in Haiti.
Mr. Cleverly’s visit to Jamaica is the first by a UK Foreign Secretary for some time. His visit was part of a whirlwind week for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, during which Jamaica also hosted the United Nations Secretary-General, Foreign Ministers of CARIFORUM (CARICOM plus the Dominican Republic and Cuba) and representatives of the Governments of Japan, Spain and Slovenia.
