KINGSTON, Jamaica—Jamaica is advocating for reforms to the multilateral system to better recognise the vulnerabilities of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and ensure equitable access to affordable and concessional financing.

The call was made by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, when she delivered Jamaica’s third Voluntary National Review (VNR) report at the seventh meeting of the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, in New York, recently.

“International trade, although still considered a driver of growth, is increasingly also a source of vulnerability. We remain exposed to exogenous shocks beyond our control. The multilateral system is, indeed, in need of reform. Systems and processes must recognise the special circumstances of SIDS to ensure real and measurable change in their development outcomes,” she said.