National Diaspora Policy Action Plan to Roll Out in Second Quarter of 2023/24

The full rollout of the Plan of Action for implementation of the National Diaspora Policy is expected to commence in the second quarter of the 2023/24 financial year.

The disclosure was made by State Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Leslie Campbell, in an address in the Upper House on Friday (January 27).

Mr. Campbell said that development of the detailed Plan of Action is already underway.

The National Diaspora Policy, which was tabled as a White Paper in the Senate in November 2022, contains proposals for further strengthening and mainstreaming engagement with overseas nationals.

It will provide the overarching framework for coordinated engagement of the diaspora with a view to realising the eight goals contained.

These are increased diaspora engagement and participation in national development processes, and improved facilitation and recognition of diaspora institutional mechanisms, networks and partnerships.

It will also create an enabling environment for optimising diaspora investment, trade and advocacy; design robust systems/processes for research and measurement of diaspora contribution to development; improve service delivery of Diaspora populations; increase human capital exchanges; and provide stronger support mechanisms for the return and integration of the diaspora into the local population.

The policy will also seek to enhance the well-being and safety of members of Jamaican communities at home and abroad and support greater and more targeted engagement of youth and young adults in the diaspora.

“These policy goals are a universal call to action for strategic partnerships across all ministries, departments and agencies MDA), the private sector and interest groups, as well as a deliberate step to align the policy with the National Long-Term Development Plan, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2030,” Senator Campbell noted.