Holness urges global partnership to tackle climate, debt, poverty, conflict and crime
Toriann Ellis / Our Today
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Prime Minister Andrew Holness calls on the international community to join forces in addressing the most pressing challenges facing Small Island Developing States.
“Let us revitalise multilateralism and recommit to building a more resilient, equitable, and sustainable world. The challenges before us—climate change, debt, poverty, conflicts, and crime are formidable—but our capacity for collective action is greater,” Holness said.
Speaking on Friday, September 26, at the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the prime minister underscored that climate change, debt, poverty, conflicts, and crime are interlinked issues requiring collective action.
“Jamaica has shown that with sound policies, fiscal discipline, and good governance, small nations can achieve great progress. But to build on this progress, we need an international system that is fair, inclusive, and responsive,” he added.
The prime minister highlighted Jamaica’s achievements in crime reduction, noting the more than 50 per cent decline in homicides in recent years.
Holness further emphasised that these gains remain fragile unless transnational criminal networks are dismantled.
“This is why we call for nothing less than a global war on gangs, a coordinated international campaign to cut off the flow of weapons, money, and the influence that sustains them. This requires deeper engagement from all member states. We urge full implementation of the UN Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons and the International Tracing Instrument,” Holness said.
The prime minister also urged developed nations to meet financial commitments to vulnerable states, noting that while Jamaica has reduced its debt-to-GDP ratio from 144 per cent to 62 per cent, outdated global financing metrics continue to prevent access to concessional financing.
“In this regard, Jamaica supports debt-for-climate and debt-for-nature swaps, as well as the multidimensional vulnerability index, to ensure a fairer system for countries facing severe external shocks.”
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