PM urges International Community to Send Message of Hope to Those in Poverty

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller, has told the international community that now is the time to take a stand and act in a manner that will not just fulfill the 2000 Millennium Declaration, but will also provide a meaningful and far reaching development framework to benefit all nations, as the many millions around the world living in poverty and inequity, need a clear message of hope.

Mrs. Simpson Miller told the 68th Session of the United Nations General Assembly that with global unemployment expected to reach 202 million this year and an estimated 869 million working poor, 400 million of whom live in extreme poverty, there is urgent need for greater focus on job creation, including through increased investment in developing countries.

“We need to provide more assistance for people to cope with daily life, as growth and prosperity are unevenly distributed and the most vulnerable are at risk of falling through the cracks, being overlooked and failing to achieve a decent quality of life. 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,” she said.

Turning to sustainable financing for development, the Prime Minister noted that reforms that address public debt sustainability should be done and in a manner that will assist Middle Income Developing Countries with the challenges they face.

She also wants the UN to “review the classification system of middle income developing countries to ensure the utilization of more relevant and appropriate measures of development.”

Mrs. Simpson Miller said that in less than one thousand days the Millennium Development Goals should be attained and that “we face many challenges including the global economic and financial crises, climate change, natural disasters, high levels of debt and conflict.  It is imperative for us to accelerate our efforts with the limited time remaining. Anything less would be a disservice to our people.”

In a wide ranging but succinct statement, the Prime Minister told the 193-member body that they must all unite in an effort to eliminate the transnational scourge of human trafficking, to stamp it out wherever it exists and bring the perpetrators to justice and “ensure that in this modern time we do not have a re-enactment of slavery. Never again should anything resembling slavery be tolerated.”

In wanting to protect future generations, Mrs. Simpson Miller implored that the development agenda for the next decade must redouble efforts to safeguard the rights of children and enhance their development.

She told the General Debate  that despite limited resources, Jamaica makes every effort to meet its obligations to children and that “we condemn violence and abuse against our children and reaffirm our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the rights of children everywhere,”  as no child must be left behind.