Prime Minister Andrew Holness has declared that the current period will be “a decade of peace”, marking a strategic shift from merely controlling crime to fostering a peaceful society.

The objective is to ensure peace and security for citizens and to safeguard the country’s global image by eliminating the perception of crime and violence from the country’s brand.

“I am determined that this will be the decade of peace in Jamaica,” Dr Holness said, during a recent address to Jamaica’s Heads of Mission at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade in downtown Kingston. “We must take out violence as an element of Brand Jamaica. When people do the word map of brand Jamaica, violence must not appear as one of the words associated with Jamaica.”

Dr Holness noted that brand Jamaica is one of the world’s well-known and valuable brands and must be protected. He pointed out that over the last 30 years, the narrative of violence has crept into the branding surrounding Jamaica.

He said that Jamaicans who are involved in crime, who use and organise violence, are destroying brand-Jamaica and the country’s economic prospects. “You see it mostly when we get a downgrade in the travel advisories, which has immediate economic impact on tourism revenues and other activities,” Dr Holness pointed out.

The prime minister noted that the country is making strides in reshaping the narrative, citing the sustained reduction in homicides, which is one of the main metrics used to judge whether there is peace in a country.

“We have had three years of consistent reductions. We are going to focus on getting an even more significant reduction this year, and we are going to keep pushing that number as far down as we can get it,” Dr Holness maintained.

He noted that to achieve sustained reduction in homicides, Government has transformed the police force and significantly expanded the country’s security capabilities. “Before, it was only the JCF (Jamaica Constabulary Force); now our security apparatus has broadened. We have MOCA (Major Organised Crime & Anti-Corruption Agency), and Customs is brought in as a part of our security operations. The JDF (Jamaica Defence Force) has always been the kind of platform for internal and external security but we are all coordinating. We have expanded our capabilities in intelligence,” Dr Holness outlined.

He noted that the Government has invested heavily in intelligence and critical assets to improve surveillance.

“So, we have better knowledge of what is happening and who are the people doing it…and we are targeting and we are having great results,” the prime minister stated.

He noted, however, that peace is not merely the reduction of homicides but also the propensity for violence. “So, the next phase of government policy is to remove the intention, the propensity, the inclination to use ultimate violence…we are focused on crime, which is the actual use of violence to commit an act that is prescribed in law as a crime. Now, we have to treat with violence…we have to focus on eliminating violence as a first resort to the resolution of conflict in our society,” Dr Holness stated.

He said that the Government intends to implement recommendations from the National Violence Prevention Commission report in short order.

The report from the Professor Maureen Samms-Vaughan-chaired Commission makes recommendations for legislative changes, institutional building, and outlines a 10-year evidence-based National Action Plan to eliminate violence as a feature of the Jamaican society.

“You will see a more targeted instrumental plan from the Government to treat with this issue of violence,” the prime minister pledged.

He urged Jamaica’s diplomats and foreign officers to emphasise that Jamaica is making significant strides in safety and security.