Mr. President,
I extend heartiest congratulations on your election as President of this 74th Session of the General Assembly and assure you of Jamaica’s full support in the work ahead.
I must also convey our deepest appreciation to Her Excellency Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, for so ably guiding our work in the preceding session.
Mr. President,
The United Nations is critical to building a world of peace, security and development. These are the hallmarks of our multilateral collaborative activities of which we can all be justly proud.
No individual country can fulfill the development aspirations of its people, without working in partnership with others. We are grateful therefore, to the Secretary General and his team and all who have been the drivers behind the many successful UN initiatives.
At the same time, our global space is facing unprecedented risks. These include deepening geopolitical conflicts; heightened trade tensions; terrorist attacks and new security threats.
There is also growing religious intolerance, increasing xenophobic behavior and not least of all the devastating effects of climate change. Sadly, we are witnessing these phenomena against the background of fears of a global recession.
I, therefore, very much welcome the theme chosen for this Session of the General Assembly “Galvanising multilateral efforts for poverty eradication, quality education, climate action and inclusion”. Now is indeed the time to redirect our focus and enable our countries to reverse the negative trends.
Mr. President,
Jamaica is pursuing several policy and legislative measures designed to create a more cohesive society and a more resilient economy. Our major goals are the promotion of inclusive sustainable growth, economic opportunities, peaceful society, social harmony and citizen security. We are working to make this a reality for every Jamaican.
Greater investment in human capital will undoubtedly yield exponential returns for national development. Empowerment of our people will facilitate participation in the growth and development of Jamaica, our region as well as the wider international community.