UK to pump $2.9 billion into violence prevention in Ja
Published:Sunday | May 21, 2023 | 1:54 AMJudana Murphy/Gleaner Writer
The United Kingdom (UK) has committed $2.9 billion towards violence prevention efforts in Jamaica for the next six years.
The Violence Prevention Partnership aims to address the root causes of crime and violence through grassroots community activities and engagement with educational institutions.
Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, minister of foreign affairs and foreign trade, said Jamaica welcomes the UK’s continued support, particularly in the areas of security and climate change.
“This partnership will enhance our whole of government approach to violence reduction and prevention, while engaging multiple stakeholders in our collective efforts to combat high levels of criminality. We express our sincere appreciation to the government and people of the United Kingdom for this initiative which will be far reaching domestically and internationally because of its ultimate results,” Johnson Smith remarked.
In her address during a press conference yesterday, following the completion of the inaugural Jamaica-UK Strategic Dialogue, Johnson Smith said the UK is Jamaica’s largest bilateral grant partner and plays an integral part in the country’s pursuit of sustainable development.
The minister said grant funding for 2022 amounted to £81.3 million and was mainly allocated to agricultural development projects, particularly in the southern parts of the country.
For his part, James Cleverly, UK secretary of state for foreign, Commonwealth and development affairs, said a public health approach would be taken towards violence prevention locally.
“The UK government will provide £15 million over the next six years to help Jamaica reduce violence and the impact that it has on society as a whole and on this wonderful country’s economy. This violence prevention partnership is yet another demonstration of the UK’s support of Jamaica’s goals and aspirations and indeed international development plan, Vision 2030,” he said.
Cleverly shared that Jamaica was set to benefit from a £7-million package to increase the country’s access to climate finance.
“This project delivers on a promise that we made at COP26. We will set up a fund to which others will contribute. They will provide support for increasing climate resilience across key sectors and once we have shown that it can work in Jamaica, we will encourage other Caribbean countries to do likewise,” the foreign secretary explained.
Meanwhile, a memorandum of understanding spanning five years was also signed among the British Council, the National Education Trust and the education ministry to build capacity in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM).
Maureen Dwyer, acting permanent secretary in the education ministry, said she was delighted at the signing as Jamaica has had a long relationship with the British Council on matters of education.
“What’s exceptional this time is that it’s about STEM and STEM is trending in the educational space. Recently we collaborated on a trip to the UK where a team from the ministry went to look at the administration of STEM schools in the UK and so we are really looking forward to applying those lessons to our own venture,” Dwyer explained.
She told The Gleaner that the Council also partnered with the ministry on an evaluation of how teachers could manage the teaching of STEM subjects.
The findings of that study will be implemented to develop capacity within the education sector.
“This funding has come at the right time and we are looking forward to the good that will come of it,” Dwyer said.