Minister of Labour and Social Security, Pearnel Charles Jr, continued Jamaica’s active engagement at the International Social Security Association Regional Social Security Forum for the Americas with a focused bilateral discussion on digital governance and the delivery of social protection services.

Following a presentation on digital governance, the minister met with the Director of Management and Governance at Dataprev, Brazil’s Social Security Technology and Information Agency, Cristina Mori, to examine the operational realities and practical challenges associated with integrating technology into social protection systems and leveraging technology in social protection systems. The discussion addressed system design, implementation constraints within government institutions, and the experience of beneficiaries navigating digital platforms.

The minister highlighted Jamaica’s ongoing efforts to modernise its social protection framework through the integration of digital solutions, noting that the country is actively developing systems that improve efficiency, transparency and responsiveness.

He emphasised that digital transformation must be accompanied by deliberate investments in institutional capacity and citizen readiness.

“Our task is to develop integrated, scalable systems across government, with a focus on building integrated and scalable systems across government while ensuring that our public officers and our citizens have the capacity to engage with and benefit from these platforms,” Minister Charles stated.

The engagement also facilitated knowledge exchange with regional counterparts, with the Minister noting that Jamaica continues to benefit from shared experiences across Latin America as it strengthens its approach to digital transformation within the social protection space.

Jamaica’s participation in the Forum forms part of a broader strategy to modernise public service delivery and reflects the Government’s commitment to strengthening service delivery, expanding access to social protection and ensuring that systems are designed to meet the needs of a modern and evolving labour market and evolving citizen needs.

The International Social Security Association Regional Social Security Forum for the Americas brings together policymakers, social security leaders and international development partners to examine strategies for improving coverage, efficiency and sustainability within social protection systems across the region.