July 4 is Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Day, the official day to commemorate the signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas, the agreement that established CARICOM. The Treaty was signed on July 4, 1973 in Chaguaramas, Trinidad and Tobago by leaders of Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago. This year marks the 46th anniversary of the original signing. CARICOM Day is...

All deaths should be registered, by law, within five days, unless the Coroner is probing the death, and no later than 12 months. If a death is not registered within 12 months, the permission of the Registrar General is needed to conduct a Late Registration of Death. The registration process is dependent upon the type of death. Deaths are classified...

An official period of mourning is one which is declared by a Government usually to show respect for a recently deceased head of state or government, former head of state or national figure. In Jamaica, a period of mourning is usually initiated by the Government from the guidelines in the State Protocol for Mourning Heads of State, Heads of Government,...

The 8th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference, hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade (MFAFT), will take place on June 16 – 20, 2019 at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston. Conference Objectives Themed ‘Jamaica and the Diaspora: Building Pathways for Sustainable Development’, the main objectives of the Conference are to: 1. Finalise and endorse the draft...

A PPV licensed vehicle can be identified by a red plate and a special sticker on the windscreen. Holders of this licence have the legal authority to carry passengers in their vehicles, along stipulated guidelines. Applicants for PPV Licences are required to: • Be age 21 old years or older • Complete the application form – available on the Transport...

Every birth that occurs in Jamaica must be registered with the Registrar General’s Department (RGD). This affords the individual the right to an official identity and nationality. The Registration Process Jamaican law dictates that registration be done within the first six weeks of the birth. The RGD makes provisions for: Registrations to be done at hospitals and birthing centres following...

The Windrush Generation refers to immigrants from Caribbean countries such as Jamaica; Trinidad and Tobago; and Barbados, who went to the United Kingdom (UK) to supplement the labour force between 1948 and 1971. The name Windrush is derived from the name of the ship, the SS Empire Windrush, which transported the first set of immigrants on June 22, 1948. These...