The Government has confirmed that amended procedures governing the Shiprider Agreement have been implemented, months after Jamaican officials began meeting with their US counterparts to come to an accord on the matter.

The discussions had become necessary after, among others, a 2019 incident in which five Jamaican fishermen claimed they were mistreated by the US Coast Guard when they were picked up for allegedly trafficking drugs aboard a Jamaican-owned vessel.  

With Government facing criticism for failing to protect its citizens’ rights, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, the minister of foreign affairs and foreign trade, assured the Senate then that the Andrew Holness administration would push for a review of the protocols of the agreement which was initiated in 1998 as a partnership with the United States in countering illegal drug trafficking by sea in the region.

NEW PROCEDURES EFFECTIVE JUNE 16

“Members of the Senate will recall that, in February 2021, I informed this Chamber that work was under way towards finalising the operational protocols associated with implementation of the Agreement Between The Government Of The United States And The Government Of Jamaica Concerning Cooperation In Suppressing Illicit Maritime Drug Trafficking, commonly referred to as the Shiprider Agreement,” Johnson Smith, who is also leader of government business in the Senate, told the Upper House of Parliament today (July 2).

“I also informed that, although the Government of Jamaica and the US Government agreed on the majority of
the proposed protocols, there were still a handful of issues that needed to be settled.

“I wish to advise that Jamaican officials from the ministries of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and National Security, the Attorney General’s Chambers, The Jamaica Defence Force and the Director of Public Prosecutions met again with senior US officials on 24th March 2021. Following further exchanges, both sides agreed on changes to the operational protocols necessary to improve the functioning of the Agreement. These new procedures became effective as of June 16th 2021.”

Johnson Smith noted that, with the finalisation of the operational protocols, both parties stood to benefit from improvement in the sharing of critical information and in the process of interception of vessels suspected of being involved in drug-related criminal activities at sea.

“The protocols also allow the Government of Jamaica to achieve its goals of strengthening the fight against illicit drug-related activities, while at the same time protecting the interests of Jamaican citizens who may be intercepted at sea, pursuant to the Agreement,” she added.

“It is hoped that, with these improved procedures, the challenges experienced in the recent cases will not be repeated.”

She said work to improve the systems that give effect to the agreement would not stop there as the Agreement itself provides for consultation to ensure its smooth operationalisation and the new protocols provide for a minimum regularity of exchanges, with scope for additional consultations as necessary.

“We will use these opportunities to ensure that the rights of Jamaican nationals are respected and upheld at all stages and assuring the effectiveness of these security operations. These additional protocols will undoubtedly deepen Jamaica’s co-operation with the US in these matters,” she said.

“Finally, let me take this opportunity to re-emphasise Jamaica’s firm commitment to engaging with our international partners in the fight against the use of our waters for trafficking purposes. This remains a critical part of breaking the back of serious and organised crimes in Jamaica, and is therefore to the benefit of each and every law abiding Jamaican citizen whose rights must never be subordinated to those of the criminal elements among us.”