Mathew Samuda, minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, has urged countries worldwide to take immediate action to secure a brighter future for children.

Speaking at the United Nations Water Conference in New York, in the capacity as co-chair of the Group of Friends of Children and the SDGs, he emphasized that access to clean drinking water and sanitation is a fundamental human right enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and it is the government’s duty to uphold this right.

The conference, co-hosted by the Governments of Tajikistan and the Netherlands, is focusing on the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal #6 (SDG 6) to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

Samuda also acknowledged the nexus between climate change and the worsening water crisis affecting many parts of the world and highlighted the critical impact of the water, sanitation, and hygiene crisis on children’s lives, rights, and well-being.

He reiterated Jamaica’s call to developed nations to honour their commitments under the Paris Agreement and increase funding for adaptation and disclosed the steps that Jamaica has taken to protect its watersheds through a new Watersheds Policy and the National Tree Planting Initiative, aiming to plant three million trees in three years.

Samuda said: “Colleagues, all our energies would be in vain if our water resources are not effectively managed, and that is why Jamaica will honour its commitments made at the COP 15. Jamaica is proud to announce that we will complete the protection of 30% of our landmass by 2025, a full five years ahead of the global target.”

Minister Samuda also signaled Jamaica’s intention to join the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Coalition for Nature which was adopted in December in Montreal at COP (Conference of Parties) 15 in light of the implementation of a new Global Biodiversity Framework. The Coalition will advocate for enhanced means of implementing ambitious objectives for nature in SIDS.