UNITED NATIONS — Jamaica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Senator Kamina Johnson Smith told a United Nations Forum here Wednesday that Jamaica supports the full implementation of resolutions now before the General Assembly and the Security Council on the advancement, peace and security of women.

Addressing the UN Secretary General’s High Level Forum on Women’s Economic Empowerment, the minister made reference to UN Security Council resolution 1325, piloted by Jamaica during its presidency of the council in 2001, as proof of the country’s commitment of the advancement of women’s issues.

She told the forum that Jamaica has “ratified several gender-related international instruments, such as the Beijing Platform for Action, ILO Convention C087, C098 and C189, as well as the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women”.

Johnson Smith also told delegates that in keeping with its commitments at the national and international level, and especially in relation to the country’s obligations under relevant international conventions, “Jamaica continues to implement gender-sensitive national framework policies and development plans”.

She said that of the more than 35,000 jobs created by Jamaica in the past year, 25,000 are held by women, which she credited this to Government’s pursuit of marcoeconomic reform and enabling policies to support inclusive economic growth.

She also spoke of the strides Jamaica has made with the empowerment of women, noting that the country “boasts the highest proportion of women managers” not only in the region but in the world, with 59 per cent of all managers being women.

Johnson Smith will tomorrow deliver Jamaica’s policy position at the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly.