Jamaica urges United Nations to renew and prioritise commitment to action, as it turns 70
By: , October 2, 2015The Key Point:
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Senator the Honourable Arnold J. Nicholson, QC, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade.The Facts
- The Minister said Jamaica looked to the international community to address ongoing crises that threatened global peace and security, to stem the escalating humanitarian situation in various parts of the world, to embrace the new sustainable development agenda and to reach an ambitious agreement on climate change.
- The Minister heads Jamaica’s delegation to this year’s UN General Assembly Session, highlights of which have included an address by His Holiness Pope Francis and the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The Full Story
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Honourable A. J. Nicholson, delivered Jamaica’s policy statement at the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, today, October 2, 2015. He implored the world body to address global challenges with a renewed commitment to action. Noting that 2015 marked the 70th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, the Minister lauded the Organisation for its many accomplishments, even as he lamented that the global community had “fallen short of our expectations in some key areas.”
He admonished Member States to “muster our collective will” and exhibit “a firm determination to make the eighth decade in the life of our Organisation a period of unparalleled achievement”.
The Minister said Jamaica looked to the international community to address ongoing crises that threatened global peace and security, to stem the escalating humanitarian situation in various parts of the world, to embrace the new sustainable development agenda and to reach an ambitious agreement on climate change. He emphasised the critical role of multilateralism, noting that it is “through dialogue and mutual respect that we can begin to address many long-standing conflicts.”
In joining the call for “a renewed commitment to action”, the theme of this session, the Minister encouraged the General Assembly to “prioritise action over rhetoric… people over power…and peace over political expedience”.
The Minister heads Jamaica’s delegation to this year’s UN General Assembly Session, highlights of which have included an address by His Holiness Pope Francis and the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Minister Nicholson also engaged in a number of bilateral meetings with his counterparts, signed a communiqué establishing diplomatic relations between Jamaica and Nepal and participated in annual meetings of the G77 & China, the Commonwealth, CARICOM and CELAC.