Minister Johnson Smith Appeals to OAS to Support War on Guns, Climate Change and Help for Haiti

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, appealed to the Organization of American States (OAS) that given the gravity of the situation, “we need to wage war on illicit weapons here in our hemisphere.”  

Addressing the 53rd Regular Session of the OAS General Assembly in Washington D.C, on Friday (June 23), Senator Johnson Smith said, “it is quite clear that we need to deploy our efforts, resources and energies on ending the flow of illicit weapons through our hemisphere, given the direct correlation between the proliferation of illegal guns and the level of crime and violence in our various societies.” 

She told the OAS that the flow of such weapons is “inconsistent with our hemisphere’s global image as a zone of peace.” 

The Foreign Minister pointed out that “while our countries do not manufacture these weapons, we are severely impacted by their use and availability.  

“In order to address this scourge, we must continue to strengthen cooperation to keep these weapons outside of our jurisdictions,” she stated. 

Senator Johnson Smith noted that “the peace and stability of our region remains a top priority and Jamaica remains deeply concerned over the worsening security, socio-economic, and humanitarian crisis in Haiti.” 

“Haiti confronts, arguably, the gravest challenge in its 219-year history. This ongoing multidimensional crisis exacerbated by increasing gang violence, kidnappings, and violence against women and girls, has challenged the capacity of the State to protect its citizens,” she said.  

The Minister pointed out that “the need to restore the rule of law and address the burgeoning humanitarian concerns, has never been more urgent.” 

“Despite our limited resources, Jamaica has offered to provide tangible support, including electoral reform, and remains ready to be a part of a multinational security force with the appropriate jurisdictional mandate, aimed at restoring peace and stability to our neighbour through a Haitian-led solution,” she said 

Senator Johnson Smith welcomed “the establishment of the OAS Working Group on Haiti in February of this year”. 

She noted that “Jamaica is honoured to be a member of this Working group as well as of the United Nations ECOSCO Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti in support of actions that support sustained international attention on Haiti and keeps it at the forefront of the international and regional agenda.” 

Senator Johnson Smith observed that critical to promoting and securing human rights are digital transformation, cyber security, and the emergence of artificial intelligence.  

While pursuit of a programme of digital transformation to enhance the enjoyment of rights by the under-served and the most vulnerable is being undertaken, recognition was urged as to how technology is also being misused by elements of populations to pursue cyberattacks on useful and important systems in the public and private sectors, and “to spread misinformation and disinformation which can undermine democratic stability”.  

“As Jamaica continues to do its part in mitigating climate change, cognisant of the indisputable fact that we only have one Planet. However, due to high debt burdens which complicate an already tight fiscal space, developing countries find it difficult or near impossible to take all necessary actions on our own”. 

“Developed and industrialised nations have much more than a moral obligation to take much greater action since they have built their wealth by conduct responsible for the crisis. Jamaica continues to advocate for developed countries to both scale up their climate action and for a multilateral approach to meet our climate targets”. 

“Jamaica also continues to call on developed and industrialised nations to effect meaningful reforms of the international financial architecture, including through elements of the Bridgetown Initiative, so that developing countries can access affordable and appropriate financing to address climate finance and other cross-cutting development issues” Senator Johnson Smith advised.