KINGSTON, Jamaica – Jamaica says Caribbean countries share common goals of utilizing information and communication technologies to drive economic and social development.
Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister, with responsibility for Efficiency, Innovation, and Digital Transformation, Audrey Marks., addressing the dialogue“But we are all at different levels of adoption and penetration, and we must find consensus on how we forge a path that ensures our collective success,” said Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister, with responsibility for Efficiency, Innovation, and Digital Transformation, Audrey Marks.
Addressing the first High Level Policy Dialogue with the Caribbean as partners from the European Union and the Caribbean, which ends here on Friday, Marks said that the alliance aims to strengthen bi-regional cooperation on digital issues through a structured multi-stakeholder approach.
“Small island developing states and neighboring nations share common challenges and must work collectively to ensure inclusive digital transformation, despite varying levels of digital adoption.”
Marks said countries of the region share the common goal of utilizing information and communications technologies to drive economic and social development, making reference to one of the core themes of the talks, cybersecurity, while noting the critical need for collaboration in this area.
“The cross-border nature of cybercrimes and cyberthreats does not allow countries to work in isolation. Therefore, collaboration with public and private-sector organizations nationally, regionally, and internationally become more important as we grow and develop,” Marks said.
She said that the Jamaica government is fully supportive of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Cyber Resilience Strategy 2030 and expects the EU-LAC dialogue to identify initiatives aligned with that regional and hemispheric vision.
Eu Ambassador to Jamaica, Dr. Erja Askola.
She said regarding artificial intelligence (AI) it is extremely important that governments look at the opportunities, but also the potential for harm.
“Jamaica established a national AI task force in 2023 and has completed policy recommendations using UNESCO’s AI Readiness Assessment. This has informed the creation of a national AI policy. Regionally, we support a targeted AI policy roadmap and the CTU-led initiative to harmonize AI policy across CARICOM, helping to avoid fragmentation and boost our collective voice in global AI governance.”
Marks spoke of the efforts being undertaken by the government to ensure digital inclusion across the island, specifically the national broadband initiative launched in 2020 to build a resilient island-wide network.
She noted the Jamaica’s Data Protection Act as evidence of work being done in the thematic area of data governance but acknowledged that there is still work to be done by Jamaica and across the region.
“I, therefore, encourage all participants to engage in the discussion, which will take place over these two days, so that at the end of this dialogue there will be alignment of priorities across the five thematic areas and a unified,’ she said, adding “Latin American and Caribbean position that reflects our digital development goals”.
The conference here is co- chaired by the Jamaican government and the European Commission in collaboration with the Trinidad and Tobago government.
The policy dialogue seeks to define concrete EU-Caribbean digital cooperation opportunities in the lead up to the 2025 Community of Latin America and Caribbean States (CELAC)-EU summit scheduled for November 9-10.
A statement issued here said that the region’s distinct geographical characteristics, cultural diversity and heightened vulnerability to natural disasters require specific digital solutions.
“As a result, Caribbean experiences related to digital development may differ from those seen across Latin America. Sub-regional coordination and cooperation with the wider Latin American region and partners like the European Union are essential for addressing these nuances and leveraging context-specific opportunities,” the statement said, adding that the EU is committed to supporting Caribbean digital solutions to address Caribbean challenges.
It said that apart from the Global Gateway Investment Agenda, European and Caribbean policy makers will hold construction discussions on the thematic policy components of the Digital Alliance with a Caribbean perspective, including on cybersecurity, e-governance, data governance and artificial intelligence.
The European Union Ambassador to Jamaica, Dr. Erja Askola, said digital tools are no longer a luxury, as they are necessary for development, climate resilience, and competitiveness.
She said that digital cooperation has become one of the central pillars of the EU’s partnerships in the region.
“I’m encouraged when I see that at least 11 Caribbean countries are already developing digital policy frameworks. This is a strong signal of their commitment and vision in this field. The EU, on its part, seeks to respond to the digital needs, and we seek to help fill and close the connectivity gaps in the region and to improve digital skills, inclusive [of] access to these resources and connections,” the ambassador said.
The diplomat said that the high-level dialogue will also feature discussions on how digital tools can help deliver better weather services for the Caribbean and Latin America.
“This is very important in this region because this will improve the way the countries can prepare for natural disasters and respond to them as well. We will also be addressing other important aspects of digitalisation, such as gender and startups,” said Askola.
“The dialogue here builds on the momentum from 2024, when Belize, Guyana and Grenada joined the EU-LAC Digital Alliance, highlighting the Caribbean’s commitment to bi-regional digital cooperation.
