Prime Minister Holness Addresses Ninth Summit of the Americas
“This region of the world has all the resources to secure peace and prosperity for all the people of the hemisphere.”- Prime Minister Holness
Prime Minister Andrew Holness today (June 10, 2022) made remarks at the Ninth Summit of the Americas under the theme Building a Sustainable, Resilient, and Equitable Future.
In his address, the Prime Minister underscored that the summit must serve as an opportunity to announce a new blueprint for regional cooperation.
In this regard, Prime Minister Holness said Jamaica welcomes the announcement of the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity. The Prime Minister also noted that Jamaica is committed to the summit process and will continue to work with all hemispheric partners to make a difference toward a better future.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister highlighted Jamaica’s interest to see success in the areas of Food and Energy Security, Climate Finance, Human Capital and Skills Development and Security and Trafficking in Small Arms.
The Prime Minister said, “This region of the world has all the resources to secure peace and prosperity for all the people of the hemisphere. We have the leadership in this room to make it happen. Let us commit, to using our best efforts to make the dialogue, plans and agreements a reality.”
Regarding climate change, Prime Minister Holness asserted that access to financing for small and vulnerable economies, especially highly indebted middle–income countries, must be a priority in efforts towards recovery. In this regard, he welcomed the announcement of Partnership to Address the Climate Change Crisis (PACC 2030).
The Prime Minister said, “For countries like Jamaica, which are disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change; global emissions must be capped to net zero, adaptation and mitigation solutions must be implemented and, attention must be given to loss and damage mechanisms.”
Regarding human capital and skills development, Prime Minister Holness stated, “The region needs a thoughtful and coordinated approach in facilitating massive investments in Human Capital Development while at the same time, pursuing nearshore policies to bring jobs to workers in their home countries.”
In the meantime, the Prime Minister commended the Biden-Harris Administration for its leadership of the Summit process, and for its general posture of listening and paying attention to the concerns and challenges of small developing states within the hemisphere.