Violence prevention commission hands in report
Published:Monday | September 23, 2024 | 12:08 AMLester Hinds/Gleaner Writer
Jamaica’s National Commission on Violence Prevention (NCVP) has submitted a preliminary report to the government and, according to Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness, his administration will be seeking to develop a social consensus around the document.
However Holness, who was addressing a town hall meeting in the Bronx, New York, on Saturday night, did not disclose any details from the report.
The commission, comprising representatives of the two major political parties, members of the private sector, people drawn from academia, non-profit organisations and others, had been tasked with developing a 10-year evidence-based National Action Plan, with recommendations for legislative changes and institutional building.
The plan is also expected to include governance and best practices around a full national mobilisation to control and reduce violence as a feature of the society.
On Saturday, Holness said there had been a significant reduction in violence in Jamaica, pointing out that there had been a 17-per-cent drop in the murder rate this year compared to the corresponding period last year.
He noted, however, that organised violence remains a problem for the country and crime is still at a significantly high level.
“The reduction in crime is a work in progress although significant progress has been made,” he told some 500 Jamaicans gathered at the Lehman College in the Bronx Saturday night.
Holness’ update on the NCVP report comes days after member of Parliament for Kingston Central, the Jamaica Labour Party’s Donovan Williams, urged the Commission to expedite its work and publish its report as soon as possible. According to Williams, this was necessary so that empirical evidence and well-researched perspectives on violence and criminality in Jamaica could be placed on the national agenda.
Holness told Jamaicans gathered for the Saturday’s town hall that, when there are reports of eight people being killed at one time, it is a shock to the system.
The prime minister was in New York primarily to attend the United Nations Summit for the Future 2024, at which he spoke.
At the Summit, world leaders adopted a pact for the future that includes a global digital compact; a declaration on future generations. The pact covers a broad range of themes, including peace and security, sustainable development, climate-change, digital cooperation, human rights, gender, youth and future generations and the transformation of global governance.
Holness used his visit to the United Nations to take time out to meet Jamaicans at the town hall to update them on developments in the island.
Hampered progress
During his presentation at the town hall, the prime minister took the opportunity to outline that, historically, the development of a sustainable economy in Jamaica was not a priority and that this had hampered progress in the country, including through the development of proper infrastructure, an education system to meet the challenges of the future, and an economy that is able to withstand shocks without having to borrow monies to meet such shocks.
According to Holness, there has been a disconnect among Jamaicans between developing a sustainable economy and having proper infrastructure.
“Jamaicans just wanted proper roads and other infrastructure without giving any thought to how these were to be paid for,” he said.
The prime minister fielded several questions from members of the audience.
The questions centred mainly on roads, housing, education, water supply and investing in Jamaica.
The prime minister will return to the island tomorrow.