Senator Johnson Smith to Head Delegation to UN General Assembly

A Jamaican delegation will be at this year’s 78th United Nations (UN) General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, USA, which began on September 5.

The team, led by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, will attend several high-level meetings from September 18 to 26, 2023.

At the UNGA, Senator Johnson Smith will also deliver the National Policy Statement as the Head of delegation.

“It’s a great honour to be able to put forward the position of Jamaica on various international issues as well as to reference them back to the domestic in certain respects,” she said, during an interview with JIS News.

Senator Johnson Smith said the delegation will participate in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Summit, which will carry out a comprehensive review of the state of the 17 SDGs.

“It is the 78th Assembly and one that has a great deal of hope being placed on it in respect of the Secretary General convening of an SDG summit to look at where we are in terms of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals leading up to 2030,” she said.

The Minister noted that the progress towards achieving the SDGs was set back by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Additionally, Minister Johnson Smith said that she will be advocating for Jamaica’s candidature for different organisations.

“Right now, we are trying to get elected to the International Maritime Organization. It is very important for us. We will also be seeking to become members of the Executive Council for the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO,” she said, noting that bilateral meetings will be held with her counterparts to seek their support.

Meanwhile, Senator Johnson Smith said that she will be convening a special meeting in her role as Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR), “to coalesce on some of our positions and plans for UNGA and upcoming meetings”.

Senator Johnson Smith assumed Chairmanship of the COFCOR at the 26th Regular Meeting in Kingston, in 2023.