UN SG in full solidarity with Jamaica on matters of global, national importance

(Jamaica Information Service Press Release) Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), His Excellency António Guterres, says the organisation stands in full solidarity with Jamaica on various matters of global and national importance.

These include Jamaica’s leading role in mediating the situation in Haiti and how to involve the international community, climate change and the impact on Small Island Developing States (SIDs), and support from international financial systems.

Mr. Guterres gave the commitment when he met with resident Heads of UN agencies and staff members on Monday (May 15) at the International Seabed Authority (ISA) in Kingston.

This was before holding bilateral talks with Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness and members of the Cabinet at the Office of the Prime Minister on these and other matters.

Secretary-General Guterres, in his address to the UN staff, pledged the organisation’s intent to “shake the foundation of international financial systems”.

Jamaica and Canada are currently co-chairs of the Group of Friends of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Financing and co-convenors of the Secretary General’s Financing for Development in the Era of COVID-19 and Beyond initiative.

“This week, I will be addressing the Group of Seven (G7) countries Summit [and] I decided to come to discuss with Prime Minister Holness exactly the content and substance of our policy briefs and, at the same time, get his advice on what kind of message it makes sense, at the present moment, to bring to the richest countries in the world,” he noted.

The G7 Summit brings together the world’s advanced economies for discussion on major global issues such as trade, security, economics and climate change. The members are France, United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Italy and Canada.

The 49th G7 Summit is scheduled for Friday, May 19 to Sunday, May 20 in Japan.

Secretary-General Guterres reiterated the UN’s commitment to supporting SIDS because “they are front line” in terms of the impact of climate change and other factors.

“We [had] the COVID-19 pandemic… . Most of these countries depend on tourism [and] tourism was affected dramatically during the COVID period. On the other hand, many of these countries have high levels of debt and the truth is that the international financing systems were defined after the Second World War by a number of rich countries and to serve their interests,” he pointed out.

The UN Secretary-General arrived in Jamaica on May 14 for a two-day working visit. He departs the island later this afternoon.

Source: CARICOM TODAY