KINGSTON, Jamaica—Prime Minister Andrew Holness has called on Jamaicans to embrace a national responsibility towards nation building as the country marks 64 years of independence.

In his Independence Day massage, Holness said Jamaica’s freedom carries an obligation for each generation to preserve and strengthen the nation for those who follow.

“We honour the courage and the sacrifice that carried us here, and we remember that independence is not a single moment in history. It is a responsibility renewed by every generation. It is our duty to preserve what those before us built, to strengthen what has been weakened, and to leave to our children a Jamaica more secure, more productive, and more hopeful than the one we inherited,” Holness said.