Below is a guest blog from our Desk Officer in London , Andy Holbrook.
Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to learn more about the UK’s relationship with Jamaica when I was invited to stay as a guest at the High Commissioner’s Residence in Kingston.
I was recently appointed as Deputy Head of the Caribbean Team at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London.
At some point I will have to stop saying ‘recently’ or ‘newly arrived’ but the broad range of issues and challenges every day continues to make the job feel like it’s still very new. As well as supporting the Head of the Caribbean Team with cross regional issues such as Prosperity, Migration and Security, I am also the Desk Officer for Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Haiti – three very different countries, but each with their own challenges and opportunities.
I knew a bit about the shared history of both countries, the size of the Jamaican Diaspora in the UK, the importance of sport (especially cricket) in Jamaican society and the fantastic spicy food that comes from Jamaica (I have previously served in the neighboring Cayman Islands which has a sizeable Jamaican community) but I wanted to learn more about the work that the High Commission is involved in and to see and hear about it for myself.
The Head of the Media section pulled together an impressive (but exhausting looking) programme which explored all areas of activity that the High Commission is involved with. This included briefings from staff on the vital support that we provide to distressed British nationals as well as supporting economic reform which leads to greater opportunities for UK and Jamaican business.
There are also a number of security issues that Jamaica and the UK (along with other likeminded countries) are working together to tackle head on such as corruption, drug trafficking and other serious and organized crime. It was clear to me that cooperation between both countries is particularly good in these areas, both at the political level but also at the grass roots practitioner level.
One of the most striking aspects of my visit was quite how many UK government departments are represented in the High Commission. It really is a ‘mini-Whitehall’ – although significantly hotter and sunnier. As well as FCO personnel, there are also teams from the Home Office, Border Force, UK Trade & Investment and the Department for International Development (DFID) who manage multi-million pound projects to encourage economic growth and reduce crime. One such example is the £7.5 million that the UK has invested in changing the culture of the police force to improve efficiency and accountability. DFID also manage regional programmes that support efforts to combat the effects of climate change, and we remain one of the largest contributors to EU budgetary support in Jamaica and across the region as a whole.
But without doubt the high point of my visit was getting out and about and seeing where the UK was helping to make a real difference to people’s lives both in Kingston and also in Montego Bay. In Kingston, I was fortunate enough to visit ‘Eve for Life’, a charity that is helping women and children living with HIV and where High Commission funding was being used to provide materials for mentoring and counseling campaigns. And In Montego Bay, I was taken to see the ‘Open Arms, Open Hearts’ charity who assist the homeless and vulnerable, and with whom we work to help deportees who have nowhere to stay when they come home to Jamaica. The UK government recognizes the importance of supporting deported Jamaicans so that they are better able to reintegrate back into society when they return home. This includes helping to provide a safe place to stay, regular meals and assistance with finding work. The charity also runs an impressive farm operation (note to self, don’t wear a suit next time!), which provides food for the shelters and which hopes to expand into selling to local markets to generate a modest income.
I am very grateful to all at the High Commission for making my visit so memorable and for teaching me so much about the relationship between the UK and Jamaica. I left with a much clearer idea of how we are affecting change for Jamaicans and how our work and engagement helps British interests too. I very much hope to have the opportunity to visit again during my time on the Jamaica desk.
And for lovers of Jamaican cuisine, I’m delighted to have found a Jamaican ‘Patty’ store round the corner in Covent Garden…..