Jamaica Entering a Decade of Peace – PM Holness
A 10-year push to entrench stability and reposition the nation’s global standing has been announced by Prime Minister Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, who says Jamaica is entering what he describes as “a decade of peace.”
During a recent address to Jamaica’s Heads of Mission at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade in downtown Kingston, the Prime Minister outlined a policy transition that moves beyond containing crime to cultivating a culture of peace across society.
Central to the strategy is strengthening citizen security while protecting the country’s international reputation by removing the association of crime and violence from its identity.
“I am determined that this will be the decade of peace in Jamaica,” Dr. Holness said.
He stressed that violence must no longer feature in perceptions linked to the island’s global brand.
“When people do the word map of brand Jamaica, violence must not appear as one of the words associated with Jamaica,” he emphasised.
According to the Prime Minister, Jamaica’s brand remains one of the most recognised and valuable worldwide and requires deliberate safeguarding.
Over the past three decades, however, he observed that narratives surrounding violence have increasingly influenced how the country is portrayed.
Individuals engaged in criminal activity and organised violence, he argued, undermine economic prospects and weaken the national image.
Travel advisory downgrades were cited as a clear example of how crime perceptions can have immediate consequences for tourism earnings and related sectors.
Notably, the administration points to three consecutive years of falling homicide figures as evidence of measurable progress.
“We have had three years of consistent reductions. We are going to focus on getting an even more significant reduction this year, and we are going to keep pushing that number as far down as we can get it,” Dr. Holness maintained.
Sustaining those gains, he said, has required significant transformation within the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and the expansion of the country’s broader security framework.
Beyond the police, agencies such as the Major Organised Crime & Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA), Jamaica Customs, and the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) are now integrated into coordinated security operations, supported by enhanced intelligence capabilities.
Investment in surveillance assets and intelligence systems has strengthened authorities’ ability to identify offenders and respond strategically.
“So, we have better knowledge of what is happening and who are the people doing it… and we are targeting and we are having great results,” the Prime Minister stated.
While acknowledging that homicide reduction remains a key benchmark, he underscored that true peace requires addressing the underlying inclination toward violence.
“So, the next phase of government policy is to remove the intention, the propensity, the inclination to use ultimate violence… we are focused on crime, which is the actual use of violence to commit an act that is prescribed in law as a crime. Now, we have to treat with violence… we have to focus on eliminating violence as a first resort to the resolution of conflict in our society,” Dr. Holness stated.
Implementation of recommendations from the National Violence Prevention Commission, chaired by Professor Maureen Samms-Vaughan, is expected to begin shortly, with proposals covering legislative reform, institutional strengthening and a 10-year evidence-based National Action Plan aimed at eliminating violence as a feature of Jamaican society.
“You will see a more targeted instrumental plan from the Government to treat with this issue of violence,” the Prime Minister pledged.
Diplomatic representatives were encouraged to highlight the country’s measurable advances in safety and security as Jamaica works to reshape global perceptions.
(Source: JIS)
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