Jamaican PM Calls On First World Countries Not To Turn Inwards During The COVID-19 Pandemic

KINGSTON, Jamaica (Tuesday, December 1, 2020) –– Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, is calling on countries, which traditionally provide aid to other countries, especially Small Island Developing States (SIDS), not to cut back on their international aid budget.

The Prime Minister’s comments come as reports, out of the United Kingdom, suggests that the European nation is set to cut its international aid budget by a third. He pointed out that this is coming at a time when the global economy is in recession, poverty is increasing and climate related shocks are having devastating impacts on countries.

“Yes, it is difficult, yes it is a challenging time, but now is not the time for the international community to retreat from its commitments, particularly commitments made for climate change, particularly commitments that will, if not kept, affect small island developing states, like Jamaica,” Prime Minister Holness said.

Prime Minister Holness went on further to say, that SIDS should be spared any cuts, to ensure that they are able to continue critical climate-resilience and poverty-reduction projects.

In that regard, Prime Minister Holness — who has co-Chaired several climate change financing and development initiatives, at the request of the United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres — called for greater consideration in these matters.

“The world will recover, but it is not a foregone conclusion that the world will recover. The world will recover, if we act in a considerate and enlightened manner; if we decide not to turn inward, but to keep the open arms of embracing the challenges and working together as one human race, as one world, to solve all our difficult global problems,” Prime Minister Holness added.