Minister of Foreign Affairs Kamina Johnson Smith
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Foreign Affairs Minister Kamina Johnson Smith
By Nakinskie Robinson
Minister of Foreign Affairs Kamina Johnson Smith is calling for increased funding for the United Nations-backed Multinational Security Support mission in Haiti, as she says the programme is floundering.
Despite the United States being among major donors to the UN trust financing the mission aimed at restoring order in the crisis-stricken country, the programme remains without the sufficient monies to increase manpower and other resources.
The mission was extended till October 2, 2025.
Minister Johnson Smith says, during the recent UN high level week, Jamaica used its platform to advocate for more funding.
Although the timing of Jamaica's phased deployment and that of the CARICOM joint task force has been under review "due to other circumstances", the minister says Jamaica will be honouring its commitment to deploy additional troops as part of the mission.
"Again, we use this platform for even members of the diplomatic corps who may be following this online, for them to advocate to their capitals to provide support to the UN country trust fund, both on the MSS mission side as well as the humanitarian basket fund, which remains underfunded," she pleaded.
The US has already provided $200 million to finance the MSS base and another $109 million in financial support.
Minister Johnson Smith, who was speaking at a post-Cabinet press briefing on Wednesday, said there has been "significant improvement" in relation to Haiti's political standing since the establishment of the Transitional Presidential Council earlier this year.
"They have been working through many of the difficult issues that establishment of institutional frameworks to take them back to elections requires. They are almost there with establishing the Provisional Electoral Council, which is the body that is constitutionally authorised to implement all the steps and requirements needed for elections," she said.
The life of the council should end in 2026, and the hope is that all will be in place for the county to hold elections by then.
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