WASHINGTON DC, United States (JIS) – Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, says the Government’s move to adopt a National Diaspora Policy will provide a framework to maximise the contribution of overseas nationals for Jamaica’s development.
She noted that the policy, to be implemented in short order, will also address issues of concern to the diaspora.
Senator Johnson Smith was addressing the Jamaica Diaspora Northeast United States Talawah Awards gala in Queens, New York, Saturday.
She noted that the Government is committed to deepening and strengthening engagement with the Jamaican diaspora, which remains an invaluable asset to the country.
“Indeed, engagement and involvement of the diaspora is a major pillar of Jamaica’s foreign policy, and the ministry and its missions overseas will play a greater role in this new thrust,” she said.
The Foreign Minister pledged that the Ministry will use innovative methods and create new paradigms to ensure that “you the diaspora have a great voice and greater involvement in our nation”.
Senator Johnson Smith said the Ministry is also seeking to broaden its outreach to non-traditional locations where Jamaicans live and work. This includes the Caribbean, Asia, Africa and Latin America.
She lauded members of the diaspora for their philanthropic contributions, which she said have made a significant impact on many lives and communities in Jamaica.
