KINGSTON, Jamaica—Jamaica is advocating for reforms to the multilateral system to better recognise the vulnerabilities of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and ensure equitable access to affordable and concessional financing.

The call was made by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, when she delivered Jamaica’s third Voluntary National Review (VNR) report at the seventh meeting of the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, in New York, recently.

“International trade, although still considered a driver of growth, is increasingly also a source of vulnerability. We remain exposed to exogenous shocks beyond our control. The multilateral system is, indeed, in need of reform. Systems and processes must recognise the special circumstances of SIDS to ensure real and measurable change in their development outcomes,” she said.

“Within this context, Jamaica calls for the use of complementary measures of progress that go beyond the GDP, including multidimensional vulnerabilities in order to secure equitable access to affordable and concessional finance”.

She noted that Jamaica has embarked on a programme of economic resilience, including funding more of the domestic budget from tax revenue as development assistance declines and global interest rates rise.

Senator Johnson Smith also highlighted the need to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), noting that 2030 is approaching and the world is not on track to achieve the ambitious agenda.

“In Jamaica, we have used successive analyses grounded in productive capacities, systems thinking, and other approaches to identify key points of intervention related to human capital, energy, and infrastructure, among others,” she disclosed.

She identified SDGs 3, 4, 9 and 11 as potential accelerators because of their multiplier effects across lagging and regressing goals.

“Policy coherence and prioritisation are foundational to successful plan implementation,” she noted.

Senator Johnson Smith further stressed the importance of strong institutions and investment in priority policy areas to support macroeconomic stability, climate resilience and human capital development.

“Building and maintaining strong institutions will act as a cross-cutting accelerator, supporting macroeconomic stability, climate resilience, and human capital development, and investing in priority policy drivers can unlock progress within the timelines,” she argued.

She said Jamaica’s development journey will extend beyond 2030 and that strong international partnerships will remain critical.

“The post-2030 development agenda must, however, take lessons learned from this period and adopt clear means of implementation, manageable statistical frameworks, and early inclusion into national planning systems,” she said.

“In this context, we look forward to working within a reformed, relevant, and supportive multilateral system to deliver on an accelerated post-2030 agenda in the interests of present and future generations”.

-JIS