Jamaica has called for reforms to the international multilateral system, arguing that stronger global cooperation is essential as small states confront climate change, security threats, economic pressures and rapid technological developments.
Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, addressing the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York on Saturday, said the challenges facing the international community were testing multilateral cooperation at a time when it was most needed.
- Advertisement -
“For small states like ours, a rules-based international order is not an abstract diplomatic preference; it is fundamental to our sovereignty, our security and our development,” Johnson Smith said. She added that Jamaica believed multilateralism could not simply be defended without addressing weaknesses in the system itself.
The minister called for a United Nations that is “more representative, more accountable, more efficient” and more responsive to the people it was established to serve. She highlighted Jamaica’s participation in the UN80 Initiative, including its work on reviewing how UN mandates are implemented.
Johnson Smith said Jamaica’s objective was to ensure that the UN spends less time maintaining processes for their own sake and more time delivering on its core responsibilities. Jamaica has been co-chairing the General Assembly’s Ad Hoc Working Group on Mandate Implementation Review with Norway, part of efforts to examine how UN decisions are designed, implemented and assessed.
On climate change, Jamaica reiterated the importance of international cooperation to help vulnerable countries build resilience. The country has identified climate resilience, development financing, peace and security and reform of the international system among its priorities during the 81st General Assembly.
Johnson Smith also devoted attention to the situation in Haiti, calling for continued international support for the Gang Suppression Force, the Haitian National Police and the Haitian armed forces. She urged the UN Security Council to renew the force’s mandate, warning that armed gangs must not be allowed to determine Haiti’s future or that of the wider Caribbean.
Jamaica also reaffirmed its support for Guyana’s Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett as a candidate for UN Secretary-General. Johnson Smith said the candidacy reflected the capacity of small states to contribute to consensus-building and the resolution of international challenges. CARICOM has endorsed Rodrigues-Birkett, who is seeking to succeed António Guterres, whose second term ends in December.
Jamaica’s intervention comes during a General Assembly session being held under the theme “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations That Delivers for All.” The General Debate runs from September 22 to 28, with world leaders using the annual gathering to address global security, development, climate, and other shared challenges.
