Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister will be leading the delegation 

A Jamaican delegation will be heading to New York next week for 78th United Nations (UN) General Assembly, which began on September 5.

The delegation will be led by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith and will be attending several high-level meetings from September 18 to 26, 2023.

While at the UN’s General Assembly, Senator Johnson Smith will deliver Jamaica’s National Policy Statement as the Head of Delegation. She 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.

The Minister noted that the progress towards achieving the SDGs was set back by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic noting that she will be advocating for Jamaica’s candidature for different organisations. She explained in an interview with JIS, “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.”

He further explained that bilateral meetings will be held with her counterparts from other countries to seek their support for Jamaica to these UN organisations. Meanwhile, Senator Johnson Smith advised 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 the Chairmanship of the COFCOR at the 26th Regular Meeting in Kingston earlier this year 2023.