The UK Minister for Latin America and the Caribbean, Baroness Chapman, arrives in Jamaica today for a visit focused on violence prevention and climate resilience – her first trip to the Western Caribbean since being appointed.
During her two-day trip, Baroness Chapman will visit Edward Seaga Primary School, an early beneficiary of the UK-Jamaica Violence Prevention Programme (VPP) – one of the UK’s largest aid projects in the region. Her visit marks the start of the programme’s implementation, with plans for interventions across further Jamaican schools.
The VPP, which will provide £15m over six years, will support the Government of Jamaica to develop more effective responses to the underlying causes of violent crime, with the aim of eradicating violence through grassroots community activities and engagement with educational institutions.
UK Caribbean Minister, Baroness Chapman said
Jamaica is a highly valued Commonwealth partner. My visit is an important opportunity to build on our two countries close collaboration.
I am excited to see first-hand how our joint work on key challenges – from violent crime to climate resilience – is making a difference to Jamaicans.
The Minister will also visit an upgraded healthcare centre in Mandeville, funded by the UK through the ‘SMART’ Hospital Programme and implemented by the Pan American Health Organisation. She will tour the facility, which was able to largely withstand the impacts of Hurricane Beryl, remaining in operation to provide critical care to residents.
The UK continues to invest in building climate resilient infrastructure, having provided £8m towards the ‘SMART’ hospital initiative in Jamaica, which has helped provide improvement to the facilities and a dedicated toolkit to staff. In July 2024, the UK also provided up to £500,000 to support Caribbean nations severely affected by Hurricane Beryl.
While in Jamaica, the Minister will meet Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica, Kamina Johnson Smith, where they will discuss the importance of the UK-Jamaica bilateral relationship and areas of cooperation. She will also meet with influential business figures and Chevening scholars.
To conclude her visit, the Minister will unveil a UK-Jamaica mural in downtown Kingston, painted by local artist Michael Elliot. The mural reflects the significant contribution of the Windrush Generation.
