KINGSTON, Jamaica – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator, Alexander De Croo, has reaffirmed the UNDP’s support for Jamaica’s hurricane recovery and reconstruction priorities and called for more strategic partnerships with the private sector to help drive full recovery and the broader development agenda.
UNDP Administrator Alexander De Croo (2nd right) speaking with (from left) PIOJ Director-General, Dr Wayne Henry; Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Senator the Honourable Aubyn Hill and UNDP Resident Representative Dr Kishan Khoday.“Visiting Jamaica as the country continues its recovery from Hurricane Melissa, one thing is clear: the resilience is already here, in communities, in people, in the will to rebuild,” said De Croo at the end of his two day-visit.
“The destruction is still visible, but so is the determination. UNDP stands in full solidarity with that spirit. Our teams are on the ground working alongside national and community partners to stabilize lives and to build the institutional foundations that will matter when the next storm comes.”
Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica last October causing damage estimated at US$9.9 billion and De Croo, who is also the United Nations Under Secretary-General, told a private sector and sustainable finance roundtable that private sector partnerships for development worked best within an enabling environment that supported and nurtured private capital for social good.
“You definitely need an environment in which the private sector feels at ease to invest,” he said, noting that “while public investments fell globally by one third over the past two years, private capital is increasing, and access to commercially viable leading-edge technology to fast-track development gains and impacts has never been easier”.
De Croo said a world in which private capital works together with public investments to support development priorities needs an entrepreneurial middle class – a key priority supported by UNDP.
“Creating an environment where small entrepreneurs can start, can get access to capital and know that there is legal certainty with reasonable taxes is how you get the economic train rolling,” he said.
The UNDP Administrator, who is also managing director of the UNDP-hosted UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), said the UNCDF is committed to this cause, anchored on Guarantee Schemes where a third party—often a government or institution—promises to cover part of a lender’s losses if a borrower defaults.
He said this reduces risks and expands access to small businesses (SMEs) lacking collateral.
“Our view is that development happens by the population of a country, by the leadership of a country, together with the private sector of the country,” he said.
During his visit, De Croo met fishers and community leaders and toured the UNDP-supported solar energy centre, noting that the solar installation – one of two donated to date – is an example of how partnerships leveraging technology can help communities become more self-sufficient.
De Croo said off-grid solutions are crucial more than ever to advance energy security and climate action while helping communities like fishers, harvest and trade more at fair prices without spoilage and loss of income.
During a courtesy call with Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister, Kamina Johnson-Smith, he reaffirmed UNDP’s resilient recovery offer to Jamaica emphasising support to institutionalizing resilience and ramped up investments in community stabilization efforts.
UNDP’s Multi Country Office is currently supporting loss and damage and human impact assessments, national recovery planning, community level water access and solar energy installations, SMEs for livelihoods recovery, small home and roof repairs and recovery of coastal, forest and watershed ecosystems.
“The UNDP Administrator’s inaugural mission to Jamaica was a historic and timely visit that strengthened UNDP’s partnerships around Vision 2030 priorities like inequality, citizen security, justice, climate action and ecosystem resilience, and Jamaica’s national recovery priorities,” said Dr Kishan Khoday, UNDP Resident Representative.
“We listened to a wide number of stakeholders in strategic discussions on emerging challenges and solutions, a foundation now to act and deliver for local impact. As Jamaica’s recovery agenda emerges, UNDP will remain a steadfast partner for a resilient recovery and reconstruction.”
