Remarks by Resident Coordinator at Workshop on the Contributions of International Migration to Sustainable Development

Acknowledgements/ Protocol

• Thank you, Madam Chair and my colleague Diane Quarless, Director, ECLAC Subregional Headquarters for the Caribbean.
• First, allow me to acknowledge - Dr. Wayne Henry, Director-General, Planning Institute of Jamaica,
• Simone Cecchini, Director Population Division of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean,
• Other colleagues from the UN systems
• Specially invited guests
• Good morning to you all.

The Background and Context 

Two years ago, the Government of Jamaica and the UN System agreed to a cooperation framework that articulated, “Equality, Well-Being and Leaving No One Behind,” as a key Priority within the UN-Jamaica relationship.

Within this Cooperation Framework, our common assessment agreed that migrant groups were at a unique risk of being left behind, along with women and girls, refugees, displaced persons, people with disabilities, young men in marginalized communities, people living in remote, poor, rural areas, people living with HIV, among others.

We must better recognise and harness the power and contributions of migrants and other diaspora populations for the sustainable growth and development of Jamaica. We are proud that Jamaica is part of the five focus countries for this initiative alongside Costa Rica, Chile, Mexico and Peru.

Delivering as One

In this regard, I wish to acknowledge the hard work of the team at The United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), its Latin American and Caribbean Demographic Centre (CELADE), and the International Labour Organization of the United Nations (ILO). Please give this strong UN team of collaborators a round of applause for their positive example of joint programming.

Programmatic Alignment

Today’s workshop is not a siloed event but builds on years of work. Through ILO, The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Office for Migration (IOM), we have sought to better understand migrant populations through labour market assessments across the Caribbean. In 2020, ILO and IOM, organized in Jamaica, the Caribbean Migration Consultation workshop on Labour Migration, and in the same week supported the Government in the organization of the National Labour Migration Forum. 

ILO has also been supporting CARICOM in developing its Labour Market Information Systems, so that labour migration can occur in an orderly manner, while protecting the rights of both national and migrant workers. 

Only this past May, ILO hosted the 12th Meeting of Caribbean Labour Ministers in Georgetown, Guyana, with the participation of Labour Ministries from 19 English- and Dutch-speaking Caribbean countries (including Jamaica). Labour Migration and Mobility was one of the four substantive issues on the agenda including the development of a Regional Strategy on Labour Migration and Mobility 2023-2030.

Additionally, the work of the IOM has helped us to understand the contributions of migrants to socio-economic development. Remittance contributions to Jamaica from its diaspora, for example, was US$2.3 billion in 2017. This value represents approximately 17 per cent (17%) of Jamaica’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).[1] The Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) reports that for the full year 2022, remittance inflows to Jamaica amounted to US$3.44 billion, and these figures do not include informal or unaccounted channels. This speaks to significant impact across several SDGs at the community and national level, including decent work and economic growth, no poverty, quality education, climate action, and partnerships for the goals, to name a few.

According to a study conducted by CAPRI, the current value of Diaspora Investment in Jamaica is US$1.2 billion as of 22nd June 2017.[2] Additionally, the findings of the research on the Economic Value of the Diaspora, suggest that there are three principal areas in which the Diaspora invests in Jamaica, namely, investments in banks, businesses and the stock exchange. For the Jamaican economy, these investments play a significant role with the potential to reduce poverty, create employment, increase growth, and increase the level of human capital formation in the economy.

Today’s workshop is a welcomed approach to advancing Jamaica’s national development priorities. Let us continue to share and learn from the best of our local and regional experts.

As I welcome you all today, I also encourage you to take full advantage of today’s workshop, as we:

1. discuss the migration reality of both Jamaica and the wider Caribbean,
2. engage in multi-stakeholder dialogue among public and private sector stakeholders, and
3. strengthen the capacity of decision-makers to contribute to public policymaking.

On behalf of the United Nations Country Team, I wish to reiterate the full and committed engagement of the UN System to this initiative and our ongoing support to ensure that no population is left behind and that the contributions of key groups – such as migrants and diaspora communities – are fully recorded in our development history.

Welcome to you all. Thank you for coming. I wish you a productively-engaging two days.

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