António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), will make his first official visit to Jamaica, beginning Sunday (May 14).

The announcement, made on Friday afternoon, sees Guterres meeting Prime Minister Andrew Holness to examine issues of regional importance including the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, which the Jamaican leader tapped as one “blueprint for action” in his September 2022 address at the UN General Asembly.

Climate change and the ongoing upsurge of violence in turmoil-striken Haiti are also key pillars of Guterres’ visit.

“Secretary-General [Guterres] will be going to Jamaica on Sunday to be there on Monday where he will meet with Prime Minister Andrew Holness. They will discuss a wide range of issues including the impact of the climate crisis in the Caribbean, and the upcoming mid-term review of the Global Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction,” a spokesperson disclosed via the UN’s live YouTube feed.

“They will also discuss the situation in Haiti and how to involve the international community more strongly; as well as Jamaica’s leadership in efforts to reform the global financial architecture so that developing countries, inlcuding middle-income countries, could restructure and sustainably manage debt as well as access to technology and finance at affordable rates so as to invest for growth and inclusive, sustainable development,” he added.

WATCH:

UN Secretary-General @antonioguterres will be travelling to #Jamaica on Sunday 14 May to meet with Prime Minister @AndrewHolnessJM the following day where they will discuss issues such as climate crisis, Haiti, global finance infrastructure reform & more. pic.twitter.com/0vyBS4WsdA

— United Nations Caribbean (@CaribbeanUN) May 12, 2023

Jamaica has a vested stake in the global finance reform as Holness was announced joint co-chair for the group of friends on financing for development alongside Canadian PM Justin Trudeau in 2021.

In the meantime, Guterres is the second leader of the UN to visit Jamaica since the late U Thant landed in Montego Bay on February 15, 1963.

Engaged in a whirlwind, five-day visit, Thant met with Prime Minister Alexander Bustamante, Opposition Leader Norman Manley, technocrats, academics and other leaders of post-indepdendent Jamaica.