Foreign relations of Jamaica
Jamaica has diplomatic relations with many nations and is a member of the United Nations and the Organization of American States. Jamaica chairs the Working Group on smaller Economies.
Jamaica is an active member of the Commonwealth of Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement (G-77). Jamaica is a beneficiary of the Lome Conventions, through which the European Union (EU) grants trade preferences to selected states in Asia, the Caribbean, and the Pacific, and has played a leading role in the negotiations of the successor agreement in Fiji in 2000.
Jamaica has been a member of The Forum of Small States (FOSS) since the group's founding in 1992.[1]
Disputes - international: none
Illicit drugs: Transshipment point for cocaine from Central and South America to North America and Europe; illicit cultivation of cannabis; government has an active manual cannabis eradication program
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade is the government ministry responsible for handling Jamaica's external relations and foreign trade.
History
[edit | edit source]Historically, Jamaica has had close ties with the UK. Trade, financial, and cultural relations with the United States are now predominant. Jamaica is linked with the other countries of the English-speaking Caribbean through the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), and more broadly through the Association of Caribbean States (ACS). Jamaica has served two 2-year terms on the United Nations Security Council, in 1979-80 and 2000-2001.
In the follow-on meetings to the December 1994 Summit of the Americas, Jamaica—together with Uruguay—was given the responsibility of coordinating discussions on invigorating society.
Diplomatic relations
[edit | edit source]List of countries which Jamaica maintains diplomatic relations with:
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Bilateral relations
[edit | edit source]| Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| File:Flag of Belize.svg Belize | 3 November 1982 |
Belize and Jamaica are two of fifteen commonwealth realms, members of: the Association of Caribbean States, the Caribbean Community, the Belt & Road Initiative, the Caribbean Development Bank, the Commonwealth of Nations, ECLAC, EU-CARIFORUM, the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, the Organization of American States, the Small Island Developing States, and the United Nations.
|
| File:Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil | 14 October 1962 | See Jamaica–Brazil relations
Jamaica and Brazil established diplomatic relations on October 14, 1962. Both countries are full members of the Group of 15. |
 Canada |
1962 | See Canada–Jamaica relations
Canada and Jamaica are two of fifteen commonwealth realms, members of: the Commonwealth of Nations, the Organization of American States, and the United Nations. Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1962. Since March 4, 1963, Canada has a high commission in Kingston. Jamaica has a high commission in Ottawa. On April 15, 2009, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper became the first Canadian head of government to address the Jamaican parliament. There are 231,000 people of Jamaican descent living in Canada. Jamaican-Canadians celebrate their island heritage through festivals held in major cities across Canada, the most recognized of which is Caribana. Caribana is held in Toronto, Ontario every year and attracts over one million visitors to the region, many of whom fly all the way from Jamaica. |
 Cuba |
1972 | See Cuba–Jamaica relations
Prime Minister Percival James Patterson visited Cuba at the end of May 1997. In the fall of 1997, Jamaica upgraded its consulate in Havana to an embassy, and the nonresident Jamaican ambassador to Cuba was replaced by a resident ambassador. |
 China |
21 November 1972 | See China–Jamaica relations
Relations from November 21, 1972. China has an embassy in Kingston, Jamaica. Jamaica has an embassy in Beijing. |
 Ghana |
See Ghana-Jamaica relations
Ghana, as the former Gold Coast, and Jamaica share historical links through the slave trade and forced Ashanti/Akan emigration to the Caribbean. Ghana and Jamaica have a Joint Permanent Commission, and there are plans for Ghanaian investment in Jamaica. | |
| File:Flag of Guyana.svg Guyana | 26 May 1966 |
|
| File:Flag of Haiti.svg Haiti | See Haiti–Jamaica relations
Haiti has an embassy in Kingston and Jamaica has an honorary consul in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. In January, 2007, Haitian president René Préval, made a four-day working visit to Jamaica. At a press conference, Jamaican prime minister Portia Simpson Miller announced that a Joint Jamaica/Haiti Commission would be convened later that year.[19] | |
 India |
See India–Jamaica relations
Both nations inherited many cultural and political connections from British colonisation, such as membership in the Commonwealth of Nations, parliamentary democracy, the English language and cricket.[20] India has a High Commission in Kingston,[21] whilst Jamaica has a consulate in New Delhi.[22] | |
 Malaysia |
See Jamaica–Malaysia relations | |
| File:Flag of Mexico.svg Mexico | 18 March 1966 | See Jamaica–Mexico relations
Both nations established diplomatic relations on 18 March 1966.
|
 Netherlands |
| |
 South Korea |
13 October 1962 |
The establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Korea and the Jamaica started on October 13, 1962 .[25]
|
| File:Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey | 1970[27] | See Jamaica–Turkey relations |
 United Kingdom |
1962 | See Jamaica–United Kingdom relations
The UK established diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom on 2 August 1962.[29] Both countries are Commonwealth Realms.
The UK governed Jamaica from 1655 to 1962, when Jamaica achieved full independence. Both countries share common membership of the Caribbean Development Bank, the Commonwealth, the International Criminal Court, and the World Trade Organization, as well as the CARIFORUM–UK Economic Partnership Agreement.[32] Bilaterally the two countries have an Investment Agreement.[33] |
 United States |
See Jamaica–United States relations
The United States maintains close and productive relations with the Government of Jamaica. Former prime minister Patterson visited Washington, DC, several times after assuming office in 1992. In April 2001, Prime Minister Patterson and other Caribbean leaders met with President George W. Bush during the Summit of the Americas in Quebec, Canada, at which a "Third Border Initiative" was launched to deepen U.S. cooperation with Caribbean nations and enhance economic development and integration of the Caribbean nations. Then-Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller attended the "Conference on the Caribbean--A 20/20 Vision" in Washington in June 2007. President Barack Obama visited the island on April 9. 2015. President Obama managed to squeeze in some fun in between meetings with Jamaican and Caribbean leaders on his trip to Jamaica this week—from paying homage to reggae star Bob Marley to practising his own Jamaican accent. The United States is Jamaica's most important trading partner: bilateral trade in goods in 2005 was over $2 billion. Jamaica is a popular destination for American tourists; more than 1.2 million Americans visited in 2006. Also, some 10,000 American citizens, including many dual-nationals born on the island, permanently reside in Jamaica. |
Jamaica maintains economic and cultural relations with Taiwan via Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Canada.
Jamaica and the Commonwealth
[edit | edit source]Jamaica has been a member state of the Commonwealth of Nations since 1962 when it became an independent Commonwealth realm.
Multilateral membership
[edit | edit source]- African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States
- Caricom
- CCC
- Caribbean Development Bank
- United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
- Food and Agriculture Organization
- G-15
- G-33
- G-77
- Inter-American Development Bank
- International Atomic Energy Agency
- International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
- International Civil Aviation Organization
- International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
- International Fund for Agricultural Development
- International Finance Corporation
- International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
- International Hydrographic Organization (pending member)
- International Labour Organization
- International Monetary Fund
- International Telecommunication Union
- Intelsat
- Interpol
- International Olympic Committee
- International Organization for Migration
- International Organization for Standardization
- International Telecommunication Union
- Latin American Economic System
- Non-Aligned Movement
- Organization of American States
- OPANAL
- Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
- United Nations
- UN Security Council (temporary)
- United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
- UNESCO
- United Nations Industrial Development Organization
- Universal Postal Union
- World Health Organization
- World Intellectual Property Organization
- World Meteorological Organization
- World Tourism Organization
- World Trade Organization
See also
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 50 Years of Singapore and the United Nations. World Scientific. 2015. ISBN 978-981-4713-03-0..
- ↑ "Countries with which Jamaica has Established Diplomatic Relations". 16 April 2021. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
- ↑ "Ministry paper no. 57 - Jamaica at the United Nations, 1968" (PDF). 1969. p. 21. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
- ↑ Australian Government Digest Volume 2, Issues 1-2. Australian Government Pub. Services. 1974. p. 66.
... 7 January 1974 The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Don Willesee, announced today the establishment of diplomatic relations with the Bahamas, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago .
- ↑ Petruf, Pavol. Československá zahraničná politika 1945 – 1992 (in Slovak). p. 112.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-12-30. Retrieved 2019-02-24.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ↑ Latin America Report No. 2636: ... FRG, Jamaician envoy visits. United States Joint Publications Research Service. 24 January 1983. p. 180.
- ↑ "Diplomatic Relations". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Saint Kitts and Nevis. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
- ↑ "Jamaica". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
- ↑ "Skupno sporočilo o vzpostavitvi diplomatskih odnosov med Republiko Slovenijo in Jamajko". Pravno-Informacijski Sistem Republike Slovenije (in Slovenian). Archived from the original on 28 May 2025. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
- ↑ "Presentation of Credentials by H.E. Mrs Marcia Yvette GILBERT-ROBERTS, Ambassador of Jamaica to the Principality of Monaco". 4 April 2008. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
- ↑ 12.00 12.01 12.02 12.03 12.04 12.05 12.06 12.07 12.08 12.09 12.10 12.11 12.12 "Diplomatic relations between Jamaica and ..." Retrieved 4 September 2022.
- ↑ "JAMAICA AND THE REPUBLIC OF KIRIBATI ESTABLISH DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS". 29 April 2022. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ↑ "JAMAICA AND THE INDEPENDENT STATE OF SAMOA ESTABLISH DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS". 29 April 2022. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ↑ "JAMAICA AND THE REPUBLIC OF PALAU ESTABLISH DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS". 29 April 2022. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ↑ "Pleased to join Jamaica FM kaminajsmith in announcing the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries". 23 September 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
- ↑ "Eritrea: President Isaias Receives Credentials of Ambassadors". 17 November 2023. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
- ↑ "Countries with which Guyana has Establishment Diplomatic Relations – Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation| Co-operative Republic of Guyana". Archived from the original on 2019-02-16. Retrieved 2019-02-24.
- ↑ Caribbean Net News Jamaica and Haiti to deepen diplomatic relations Archived 2007-08-05 at the Wayback Machine, January 6, 2007
- ↑ "India High Commission: India - Jamaica Relations". Archived from the original on 2012-06-18. Retrieved 2013-01-06.
- ↑ India High Commission
- ↑ "Jamaican High Commissions". Congenjamaica-ny.org. Archived from the original on 2015-02-21. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
- ↑ Embassy of Jamaica in Mexico City Archived 2016-04-19 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ Embassy of Mexico in Kingston (in English and Spanish)
- ↑ "Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea". Archived from the original on 2014-01-22.
- ↑ "주 자메이카 대한민국 대사관(주킹스턴분관)".
- ↑ "II.Bilateral Relations (Main Documents)". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey.
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 "Relations between Turkey and Jamaica".
- ↑ Hartman Reckord, Elaine (28 October 2022). "Jamaica and UK Celebrate 60 Years of Diplomatic Relations". Jamaica Information Service. Archived from the original on 28 October 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
- ↑ Diplomat Magazine (1 November 2015). "Jamaica". Diplomat Magazine. Archived from the original on 29 April 2017. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
- ↑ "British High Commission Kingston". GOV.UK. Archived from the original on 30 August 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
- ↑ Partington, Richard (22 March 2019). "UK secures post-Brexit trade deal with group of Caribbean countries". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 29 August 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ↑ "Jamaica - United Kingdom BIT (1987)". UN Trade and Development. Archived from the original on 30 May 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
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