Jamaica was elected in May to the United Nations (UN) Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), to serve for a four-year term until 2023. This was disclosed by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, who said the Ministry continues to promote and lobby for Jamaica’s representation on various UN bodies. “Jamaica will contribute to...

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, says the recently staged 8th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference saw an increase in the number of overseas participants, moving from 239 in 2017 to 280 this year. “Not only was there an increase in numbers, but, in addition to attendees from the United States (US), United Kingdom...

The Government is to review the protocols and procedures for implementation of the Shiprider Agreement with the United States of America. It was under this agreement that the Government waived primary jurisdiction in respect of five Jamaican fishermen who were taken into custody by the US Coast Guard in 2017 in Haitian waters. Four of the men have brought a...

Jamaica’s Special Investment Ambassador to India, Senator Aubyn Hill, says Caribbean countries need to be diligent in negotiating foreign direct investments to ensure they secure offers that are in their best interest. Citing the People’s Republic of China which has invested heavily in the region, as an example, Senator Hill emphasised that Caribbean countries’ should seek to maximise in this...

Country Head for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission in Jamaica, Jason Fraser, has hailed the newly established Jamaica Social Stock Exchange (JSSE) as an innovative mechanism to mobilise capital for the public good. This, he noted, by contributing to the financial viability of the non-profit sector and social enterprises. Mr. Fraser was addressing the social business...

The Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) will shortly roll out its online application systems for immigration and citizenship services. PICA’s online Passport Application Portal was recently tested by delegates at the Eighth Biennial Diaspora Conference, held from June 16 to 20 at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston. The agency was one of several government agencies that offered express...

The Institute of Jamaica (IOJ) is using its mobile exhibition to promote Jamaica's culture and heritage and highlight the activities of the institute. Speaking with JIS News at the just-concluded Eighth Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference, IOJ’s Assistant Education Officer, Stephanie Rose, said the mobile display is part of the entity’s outreach programme “where we take artefacts with us into schools...