Prime Minister Takes Spotlight Abroad

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, was actively engaged in boosting Jamaica’s profile internationally during his official working visits overseas throughout the year (2018).
Making History

• Mr. Holness made history as the first Jamaican Prime Minister to speak at the G7 Summit in Quebec, Canada, which he was specially invited to attend by Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau.

The G7 Summit is an informal grouping of seven of the world’s advanced economies consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. The forum offers an opportunity for G7 leaders, Ministers and policymakers to come together each year to build consensus and set trends around some of today’s most challenging global issues.

Strengthening International Relations

• Prime Minister Holness attended and addressed the Third Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) Summit of the Americas in Lima, Peru. It is the most important business forum of the Americas and brings together leading CEOs and Heads of State from the region to analyse the opportunities to promote economic growth and investment, through unprecedented public-private interaction under the Americas Business Dialogue mechanism.

• Mr. Holness led a Jamaican delegation to the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, where he delivered Jamaica’s Policy Statement.

• The Prime Minister made a 10-day working visit to three major international Summits, where he delivered key presentations.

• In Washington DC, the Prime Minister gave a keynote address at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Conference on Building Resilience to Natural Disasters in the Caribbean.

• Also in Washington, Mr. Holness signed a Contingent Credit Facility for US$285 million with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). This facility will provide immediate financing during the emergency recovery phase after a sudden event.

• Mr. Holness travelled to Buenos Aires, Argentina, for the G20 Leaders’ Summit. The Prime Minister made an intervention on Climate Change and Energy Transition.

• His working visit concluded in Trinidad and Tobago, where he presided over the 18th Special Meeting of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME). This was done in his capacity as Chair of the grouping.

CARICOM Chairmanship

• Prime Minister Holness, who assumed Chairmanship of CARICOM on July 1, successfully hosted the 39th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM in Montego Bay, St. James, where the Heads arrived at decisions on several matters.

• Jamaica and five other members signed the Protocol on Contingent Rights, which entitles spouses and dependents of CARICOM nationals, who relocate to other Member States, to access benefits such as health and education services, which were not previously afforded to them. The other signatories were Barbados, Haiti, Suriname, St. Lucia and Grenada.

• The Heads agreed that effective December 31, 2018, all States would put in place the necessary legislative framework to facilitate all 10 approved categories of skills under the Free Movement regime.

• It was agreed that by August 1, 2018, all member States would have in place procedures on the refusal of entry of CARICOM nationals travelling across the region.

• The Heads decided that a harmonised form will be used by the countries’ Immigration when refusing entry.

• A Declaration of Intent was signed between Jamaica and Chile to share expertise in sports. The agreement will see local coaches travelling to Chile to conduct sports clinics in track and field, while Chilean coaches will come to Jamaica to conduct training in gymnastics, field hockey and tennis.