Jamaica Deepening Reparations Cooperation with Ghana

Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says Jamaica will continue to work closely with the Republic of Ghana in the shared pursuit of reparatory justice.

Dr. Holness thanked Ghana’s President, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, for his leadership on the issue, noting that the country serves as the African Union’s champion for reparations.

“You led in this first ever United Nations Resolution to specifically address reparations and racialised chattel slavery. I am honoured to be asked to serve on your Global Advisory Council and look forward to our first meeting in the coming months,” the Prime Minister said.

“I wish to also thank you for your commitment to support Jamaica’s petition to King Charles, which will be submitted in the near future,” he added.

Dr. Holness was addressing a Special Joint Sitting of the Houses of Parliament at Gordon House on Tuesday (August 4), attended by President Mahama, who is on a four-day State Visit to Jamaica.

The Prime Minister also noted that, after more than two decades of dormancy, the third Jamaica-Ghana Permanent Joint Commission on Cooperation was convened in Accra in May this year.

It was jointly led by Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, and Jamaica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith.

Dr. Holness pointed out that the Joint Commission has given fresh impetus to the Jamaica-Ghana relationship.

Its tangible outcomes included a bilateral agreement for the recruitment of Ghanaian health professionals to serve in Jamaica’s public health system, a memorandum of understanding on defence cooperation, and an amendment to the agreement on cooperation in the field of arts and culture.

“These agreements provide a strong framework for expanding collaboration in sectors that are critical to the development and prosperity of both our nations. As we both work for the economic emancipation and economic independence of our people, our partnership must also extend focus on the realm of trade, investment, and shared prosperity,” Dr. Holness said.

“On your visit to the Port of Kingston yesterday (August 3), you saw the significant investments we have made to establish Kingston as a premier logistics and transshipment hub in the region. Similarly, Ghana, through its own port expansion, is the premier gateway to West Africa. The alignment is clear. By connecting our ports, our peoples, our markets, we can, together, build a West Africa-Caribbean-Latin America trade logistics corridor,” he added.

Dr. Holness noted that this ambition is given real force by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, which is headquartered in Accra.

The Prime Minister pointed out that, for a Jamaican or Caribbean enterprise, Ghana can be the gateway to Africa, and for a Ghanaian or African enterprise, Jamaica can be the gateway to the Americas.

“We are pleased that you have charged Minister Ablakwa to work with Minister Johnson Smith on ensuring advancement of a roadmap to support this vision. This State Visit represents momentum in the Jamaica-Ghana relations,” he said.

“Now we must move decisively towards building out the practical architecture that will facilitate stronger institutional partnerships, increased commercial engagement, enhanced cultural exchange, and a renewed commitment to working together for the benefit of our peoples,” Prime Minister Holness added.

Meanwhile, representing the Leader of the Opposition, Opposition Senator Donna Scott-Mottley, said Jamaica and Ghana are connected not only by memory but by purpose.

She noted that Ghana has not confined itself to remembering history but is actively helping to shape it.

“Your country’s leadership at the United Nations in advancing the recognition of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade as crimes against humanity marked a significant moment in the international pursuit of justice. For us, this is not merely a question of memory or morality but one of international law, human dignity and the continuing consequences of one of history’s great injustices. Today, President Mahama, you have renewed that leadership through the establishment of the Global Advisory Council on Reparatory Justice, on which three prominent Caribbean leaders sit,” she stated.

The Council includes Prime Minister Holness, Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, and Dr. Ralph Gonzales.

“I hope that President Mahama’s presence here will also inspire us to reflect on our own unfinished journey towards full sovereignty. As we speak of reparatory justice and the enduring legacy of colonialism, may we find the courage to complete our own journey from monarchy to republic,” Senator Scott-Mottley stated.