PM urges Special Consideration for SIDS

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller, has urged members of the United Nations (UN) to give consideration to the special needs of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) such as Jamaica, as they deliberate the post -2015 development agenda.

These countries, she noted, are grappling with issues such as climate change and the need to deal with new and emerging economic and social situations.

Mrs. Simpson Miller, in her contribution to the general debate of the 68th Session of the United Nations General Assembly on September 28, in New York, said in deliberating the post-2015 agenda, “we must determine how to best shape a global compact that is universal and people-centred, and which strikes the balance between the need for robust economic growth, job creation, poverty eradication and the equally important need to preserve and protect the environment.”

The Prime Minister also noted that there is an urgent need for innovative and sustainable financing to underpin developmental efforts.

She called for reforms that will assist Middle Income Developing Countries, of which Jamaica is classified as one, to deal with the challenges they face.

“These reforms must address public debt sustainability and review the classification system of middle income developing countries to ensure the utilization of more relevant and appropriate measures of development,” she said.

Mrs. Simpson Miller also called for increased investment in developing countries with a focus on job creation, against the background of high levels of global unemployment, which is estimated to rise to 202 million this year.

On the matter of social protection, the Prime Minister urged that multi-lateral financial institutions recognize its importance; and that leaders provide more assistance for people to cope with daily life, since growth and prosperity are unevenly distributed, and the most vulnerable are at risk of “falling through the cracks”.

“As countries, like Jamaica, implement strategies to deal with indebtedness and also encourage growth and investment, it is critical that international financial institutions, multilaterals and other development partners recognize the importance of social protection mechanisms,” she said.

Mrs. Simpson Miller stated that social protection schemes should work effectively to provide for basic needs and encourage target groups to pursue self-advancement while facilitating empowerment, and fostering greater inclusiveness.