MINISTER of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Senator Kamina Johnson Smith is leading Jamaica’s delegation to the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA81) where Jamaica will join international partners in advancing cooperation on development financing, peace and security, climate resilience, and reform of the multilateral system while deepening partnerships that support national and regional goals.

“Jamaica remains firmly committed to principled and effective multilateralism, because the challenges before us are shared and so too must be the solutions. At UNGA81, we will work with partners across regions to advance cooperation on peace and security, financing for development, climate resilience, and reform of the international system. We will seek to strengthen partnerships that support our efforts at sustainable and inclusive development, including building resilience. Jamaica will bring its experiences and perspectives to the table, working in a spirit of mutual respect and shared responsibility to help shape outcomes that benefit our region and other developing countries,” Johnson Smith said.

The minister’s emphasis on effective multilateralism speaks directly to the theme the Assembly has set for the 81st session, ‘Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations That Delivers for All’. Jamaica is contributing directly to that effort through its co-chairmanship of the General Assembly’s Ad Hoc Working Group on Mandate Implementation Review, held jointly with Norway by Jamaica’s permanent representative to the United Nations (UN), Ambassador Brian Wallace, helping to reshape how UN decisions are designed, implemented, and assessed.

The ministry said matters relating to financing development will remain central to Jamaica’s advocacy. The country continues to press for international financial arrangements that better recognise the unique challenges facing countries like Jamaica and provide developing states with affordable resources to invest in resilience, infrastructure, and sustainable growth. Jamaica’s experience with increasingly severe climate shocks further underscores the case for adaptation and loss-and-damage financing accessible to vulnerable countries before development gains are reversed.

Jamaica will also continue building international cooperation against transnational organised crime, gangs, and illicit weapons flows, while maintaining its strong advocacy for sustained international support for peace, stability, and development in countries like Haiti.

Throughout the high-level week, scheduled for September 21 to 28, Johnson Smith will also hold bilateral talks with other foreign ministers and heads of international organisations to strengthen existing partnerships and pursue new opportunities in trade, investment, and for technical cooperation.