On Target # 25 | Apr to Dec 2023

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-LEAD STORIES-

Sun-powered progress for Jamaica's only rehab centre for persons with physical disabilities


Finally, the inside story on the promising performance of solar and LED installations, courtesy of funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). Solar energy is helping to cut energy costs & fossil fuels at the Sir John Golding Rehabilitation Centre.  

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Rwanda supports Digital Transformation of

Justice Sector with funding from Canada

Chief Justice of Jamaica, Hon. Justice Bryan Sykes (third left) and Head of the Rwandan Delegation and President of the Rwandan Court of Appeal, Justice Francois Regis Rukundakuvuga (centre) are joined by representatives from the Canadian Government at the closing ceremony of the IECMS Mission to Jamaica. (From left) First Secretary - Development, High Commission of Canada to Jamaica, Emma Dunkley Elliott; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Grace Ann Stewart McFarlane; Director of the Court Administration Division, Tricia Cameron-Anglin; Resident Representative, UNDP Jamaica, Ms. Denise E Antonio; and Senior International Assistance Officer, High Commission of Canada to Jamaica, Deborah Duperly-Pinks

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) in coordination with the UNDP successfully hosted a delegation from the Government of Rwanda, as part of a digital transformation needs assessment of the Jamaican justice sector. The delegation was in Jamaica to assess the nation's readiness for implementing the Rwanda model of an Integrated Electronic Case Management System.

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Caribbean Nations join forces to form

collective front against Fisheries Crime

Caribbean nations have joined forces under the Blue Justice Hub for the Caribbean, in a concerted effort to combat organized crime in the fisheries sector. A launch in in Copenhagen in April was followed months later a first meeting and training in Kingston. The Hub is hosted by Jamaica’s National Fisheries Authority (NFA) in collaboration with the Norwegian Government, UNDP, and the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM).

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UNDP introduces new Country Programme for the Bahamas at ‘Partnership Roundtable’ series

Photos: UNDP Multi Country Office in Jamaica

Linda Maguire, Deputy Director, UNDP in Latin America and the Caribbean.

From left, event moderator Krissy Hanna, Vice Chancellor, Bahamas Alrae Ramsey Institute of Foreign Service; Chinese Ambassador Dai Qingli; United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative fDenise E Antonio; Linda Maguire, Deputy Director, UNDP in Latin America and the Caribbean; Jamahl Strachan, Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Honourable Vaughan Miller, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources; Kirk Cornish, Member of Parliament for North Abaco; Thomas Hartley, British High Commissioner ; Phedra Rahming Turnquest, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources; Phyllis Baron, Country Representative, Organization of American States (OAS)

Jamahl Strachan, Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Participants during Q and A session.

Performing Arts group from T.A. Thompson Junior High School performs Junkanoo.


Jamaican Sign Language Interpreter, Toni Aiken, providing interpretation services for the deaf community at UNDP Jamaica Country Programme Launch.



UNDP unveiled a number of development solutions aligned to The Bahamas’ national priorities and opened the door for further cooperation on new solutions, under its 2022 – 2026 Country Programme, during a Partnership Roundtable in Nassau. 


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-DIGITAL INCLUSION-

GOJ and UNDP expand community

Wi-Fi access to 17 communities

Jamaica’s digital readiness also assessed

Roniah Jule and Stephen Dennis (both seated), students of project beneficiary Constant Spring Primary are helped by (standing from left) Denise Antonio, UNDP resident representative; Shelly-Ann McGowan, Teacher at Constant Spring Primary; Linda Maguire, deputy regional director for UNDP Latin America and the Caribbean; and Daniel Dawes, CEO of the Universal Service Fund.

The government of Jamaica and UNDP have successfully rolled out Wi-Fi access to 17 locations across 10 parishes in the country. This move is a significant step towards providing equal opportunities for all citizens, regardless of location or socio-economic background, to access the benefits of the digital age.

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‘Data 4 Development Online Monitoring Platform’ launched to track Jamaica's Vision 2030 progress

Programme Director, Planning Institute of Jamaica's (PIOJ) Vision 2030 Jamaica Secretariat, Peisha Bryan Lee, (left) and Dr Wayne Henry PIOJ Director General (right) demonstrate PIOJ's new Data 4 Development online monitoring platform to UNDP Resident Representative Denise E Antonio on her tablet. They were at the launch of the online platform. UNDP proudly supported with 13.5 million in seed funding.

Jamaica's Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) has centralized data on the island’s national development progress with the launch of the ‘Data 4 Development Online Monitoring Platform’. The data centric platform tracks progress under the Vision 2030, National Development Plan as well as progress under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

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-CLIMATE RESILIENCE-

Abaco Shelter and Community Center

Building Project Makes Substantial Progress

On tour at the construction site of the Abaco Shelter and community centre in The Bahamas are from leftMinister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister, Hon. Myles K. LaRoda; High Commissioner for India to Jamaica, The Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the British Virgin Island, His Excellency Shri R. Masakui; UNDP Assistant Resident Representative, Ava Whyte-Anderson  

The Abaco hurricane shelter building project met a significant milestone when it was inspected and enthusiastically endorsed by the High Commissioner for India to Jamaica, The Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the British Virgin Island Shri R. Masakui, and UNDP Assistant Resident Representative, Ava Whyte-Anderson. 

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Recording Artistes call for strategic actions to

‘Cool Down Jamaica’ amid local temperature rise

- Recommit to rekindling music message advocacy for climate

action 8 years after successful Paris Agreement outing


A local artistes’ network that helped push for 1.5 degrees Celsius as the absolute limit for global temperature rise in the 2015 Paris Agreement, has urgently called for more shade trees to cool down Jamaica from rising temperatures, in a resounding endorsement of Jamaica’s National Tree Planting Initiative.

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UNDP has joined the National Tree Planting Initiative supported by Panos Caribbean's Voices for Climate Change Education. Trees were donated by the Forestry Department.

LEFT PHOTO recording artiste Anthony Cruz and dub poet, Mezmorre Fari.



Below: From left: Artistes Ras Rebellion, Mezmorre Fari, Aaron Silk, Pam Hall; UNDP Resident Representative, Denise E Antonio, Forestry Department CEO and Conservator of Forests, Ainsley Henry; and artiste, Don Gass.

-GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE-

127 domestic violence survivors from ZOSO communities bolster financial independence



One hundred and twenty-seven domestic violence survivors largely drawn from ZOSO-declared communities have become the latest graduates of the Spotlight Initiative-financed empowerment programmes that are launching women at risk as increasingly independent businesswomen.


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Spotlight Initiative survivors welcomed their certificates at graduation in Hayes, Clarendon.

Domestic Violence survivors gain business skills to strengthen independence from abusive partners

 

A total of 80 survivors of domestic violence from two parishes are now investing business skills and micro grants in their new or improved small business enterprises under a 17.1 Jamaican Dollar economic empowerment programme geared to cut their dependence on abusive partners.



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Domestic violence survivors gifted tablets to bolster access to small biz grants and resources


Twenty Domestic Violence survivors have been gifted tablets to bolster their chances of winning small business grants and to facilitate access to virtual training and business resources. 


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How 3 Domestic Violence survivors were impacted by Spotlight's empowerment programmes

Shelly-Ann the farmer embraces a new day after a lifetime of abuse and an unjust charge for murder

Avorina walks away from a cycle of abuse and embraces a new future as a recommitted businesswoman.

Multiple setbacks did not deter Claudia from her dreams. Classes & a grant give her a breakthrough

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Communications products on Jamaica’s Sexual Harassment and Domestic Violence Acts Launched for Persons with Disabilities

Persons with Disabilities (PWD) now have their own specially tailored information products on Jamaica’s Sexual Harassment and Domestic Violence Acts to help them navigate their rights, protections, and responsibilities under the laws.

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Ten Things To Know about the Domestic Violence and Sexual Harassment Acts! Explore dramatized feature video presentations and booklets produced by Spotlight Initiative/UNDP.

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10 Things to know about Jamaica's Sexual Harassment & Domestic Violence Acts

Ten things to know about Jamaica's domestic violence act
10 things to know about the domestic violence act, produced in Jamaican Sign Language Only
Ten things to know about Jamaica's sexual harassment act
10 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT JAMAICA'S SEXUAL HARASSMENT ACT, produced in Jamaican Sign Language only

Watch our dramatized video features which each outline key things to know about Jamaica's Sexual Harassment and Domestic Violence Laws. The latter two videos were exclusively produced in Jamaican Sign Language only, for the deaf. Click on the images to view the videos on YouTube.

How Anna Kaye & Omar are

outsmarting Climate Change

The EnGenDER project in Jamaica has reached more than 300 young farmers like Anna Kay and Omar, equipping them with the tools they need to withstand the climate crisis. It's a story of triumph over adversity, made possible under the Global Affairs Canada-funded EnGenDER project implemented by UNDP and Jamaica 4H.


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-CONSIDER THIS-

UNDP & youth partners call for Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) as added measure of poverty

Jamaica is being encouraged to add the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) to its measurement toolkit to routinely assess the number, type and intensity of deprivations being experienced by the population that cannot be solely measured by income.

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Go beyond consulting youth for their ideas. Youth must be positioned to innovate and co-lead accelerated action on the SDGs in preparation for the leadership roles in 2030 - UNDP Resident Representative.



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Ready Set Great Livestream

Watch the Ready Set Great youth conference
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What To Expect at Ready Set Great: UNDP

& Youth partners explain on Smile Jamaica

Interview on Smile Jamaica, a morning time show in Jamaica

More than 300 youth on location and online participated in UNDP's third annual Ready Set Great youth conference on 17 October -International Day for the Eradication of Poverty to deliberate on a Call to Action on Youth Poverty. Browse a few photos from our album.

Winning Team, Development Challenge

Winners of the 2023 Development Challenge announced by UNDP Resident Representative, Denise E Antonio (right) at the Ready Set Great Youth Conference were from left, Whitney Waysome, University of the West Indies (UWI), Jada Francis of Northern Caribbean University and Jada Powell of UWI.


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-THROWBACK VIDEO HIGHLIGHT-

Turning the tide on Marine debris

Hw UNDP supported removal of tons of debris from The Bahamas' sea waters after a hurricane
WATCH VIDEO

Category five Hurricane Dorian dumped fridges, cars, AC units and more in the sea surrounding Abaco in The Bahamas in 2019. A UNDP-funded report is guiding teams to the locations of the most hazardous materials. This is how Government & Non Governmental Organizations, through a UNDP recovery project are removing☣️dangerous debris that is helping restore eco systems & livelihoods.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Multi Country Office -
serving Jamaica, Bermuda, Cayman Is., The Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Is.
United Nations Development Programme | Jamaica | 876 978 2390| undpnews.jm@undp.org | www.jm.undp.org
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