(Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) – Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, Prime Minister of Jamaica and Chairman of CARICOM, on Friday 26 September, urged the international community to act decisively to address the worsening crisis in Haiti.
“The cost of doing nothing would be unthinkable,” Prime Minister Holness warned the gathering of world leaders at the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Noting that the security situation remains dire, he called on Member States, particularly those in the UN Security Council, to operationalise the Secretary-General’s recommendations for a transition to a more robust security force in Haiti. This endorsement, he said, must be accompanied by urgent financial and logistical support to ensure the success of the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) and any future security mechanisms.
The CARICOM Chair commended Kenya’s leadership of the MSS and reaffirmed Jamaica and CARICOM’s active role in efforts to support the restoration of peace and constitutional order in Haiti.
“Political instability, gang violence, and humanitarian crises in Haiti affect not only the Haitian people, but the entire Region,” Holness said, adding that it laid bare a wider truth:
“Transnational criminal networks trafficking arms, narcotics, and people are existential threats to states, organising violence, and destabilising institutions. Gangs are now global syndicates with resources that rival Nation States.”
Beyond Haiti, Prime Minister Holness used his address to advocate for reform of the multilateral system, emphasising the need for a more democratic, representative, and responsive global order.
“Multilateralism must deliver fairness for all,” he said, adding that Jamaica envisions a future “where no country is too small to be heard.”
He also addressed the urgent climate financing needs of Small Island Developing States (SIDS), describing the initial capitalisation of the Loss and Damage Fund as “grossly inadequate,” and urging developed countries to honour their commitments.
Prime Minister Holness reaffirmed CARICOM’s commitment to constructive dialogue, regional solidarity, and global cooperation rooted in equity and respect for sovereignty.
Read the full address by the CARICOM Chairman and Prime Minister of Jamaica here.
