His Excellency Ambassador of Jamaica to Japan, H.E. Ms. Shorna-Kay M. RICHARDS gave a written interview for the magazine ‘Latin America Journal’ of JALAC in its summer 2021 edition published in the end of July.
The integral transcript of the interview is as follows:
-Her Excellency started as Ambassador to Japan last fall, what is your impression of Japan? What is your most impressive experience in your stay in Japan so far?
Before I assumed duties as Jamaica’s Ambassador to Japan in October 2020, I had the opportunity to visit Japan on three (3) previous occasions. My most recent visit was as a member of the delegation that accompanied the Most Honourable Andrew Holness, Prime Minister of Jamaica, during his Official Working Visit to Japan in December 2019. Prior to this, I participated in the Second Caribbean Youth Leaders Invitation Program organized by the Association for Promotion of International Cooperation (APIC) in 2017.
My first encounter with Japan was in 2005 as a United Nations Disarmament Fellow. To date, that first visit to Japan has been one of the most impactful experiences of my 27-year career. It is therefore a great honour to serve in Japan, a country that has contributed significantly to my development as a diplomat and from whose steadfast and tangible commitment to international peace and development I have benefitted. Through these combined experiences, I developed a deep love and appreciation for the Japanese way of life even before my arrival as Ambassador.
I have long admired the strong sense of structure and order in the Japanese society. The Japanese are organized, punctual and their attention to detail is perhaps unmatched. This speaks to their commitment to consistency, quality and to creating the perfect experience in whatever they do. I saw this on full display as I prepared for my Presentation of Credentials to His Majesty the Emperor of Japan in October.
The great hospitality that I have received since my arrival also reflects the value and importance that Japan places on its partnership with my country, Jamaica. This welcoming and supportive environment has set the tone for my work here in Japan. I am encouraged by the fact that Japan continues to honour the longstanding traditions of diplomacy, as we nurture our bilateral relationship which has been built on mutual respect, shared values, and common interests. Japan’s commitment to this dynamic has been unwavering despite the “new normals” that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to every aspect of life and work.
-In Japan, Jamaica is known for the athlete Usain Bolt, Reggae music of Bob Marley, Blue Mountain Coffee, and more, but what do Jamaicans feel proud of in their culture, history and traditions?
Jamaica has been dubbed the “sprint capital of the world” – boasting the world’s fastest man and woman in track and field. On the musical front, the rhythm and beat of Reggae have marched beyond our shores to the four corners of the globe. Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee – renowned for its rich and unique aroma – continues to excite the tastebuds of coffee lovers around the world and especially here in Japan. All these factors are a source of pride for the Jamaican people.
I believe, however, that what makes us most proud is the immense impact that our small country has made on the world. As we say back home, “We likkle but we tallawah!” Behind this statement is the recognition that our efforts have yielded greater influence than our size dictates. These endeavours are not limited to the cultural or sporting realm but have also manifested in the field of diplomacy.
For example, Jamaica played a pioneering role in the campaign against apartheid. In so doing, Jamaica became the first country to declare a trade embargo against South Africa in 1957. So strong was our commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights that, in 1963 – barely a year after becoming a member of the United Nations – Jamaica proposed that 1968 be designated as the International Year for Human Rights to mark the 20th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Jamaica’s contributions to the annals of history are equally rooted in our national motto: “Out of Many, One People”. Jamaica’s motto not only reflects our reality as a melting pot of peoples and cultures, but it also serves as our declaration to the world that it is through coming together that we can achieve progress. This is the essence of what we mean when we say “One Love”: oneness through love and meaningful connections; celebrating the things that make us uniquely different.
-What do you think about the bilateral relationship between Japan and Jamaica?
In the words of former Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko KAWAGUCHI: “Though Japan and Jamaica are not privileged with geographical proximity, the two countries have overcome the physical distance to enjoy close and friendly ties through cooperation and exchanges in […] various fields […].” This statement was made in 2004 when our countries celebrated four decades of bilateral relations. It was true then and it still aptly describes the dynamic friendship and partnership that Jamaica continues to enjoy with Japan.
Jamaica and Japan established diplomatic relations in 1964, which have grown from strength to strength thanks to our common values and principles as well as a shared love for each other’s cultures. In Japan, we see a strong, trustworthy and reliable partner whose cooperation with Jamaica spans the bilateral, regional and multilateral spheres. At the bilateral and regional levels, Jamaica continues to benefit from Japanese Official Development Assistance (ODA) in the form of technical assistance, grants and other loan facilities.
In the multilateral arena, Jamaica and Japan sit next to each other – an occurrence which gave way to what we fondly call the “J-J Partnership”. This “proximity” despite our geographical distance can also be found in the alignment of our vision for a better world – underpinned by connectivity, togetherness, the promotion of democracy, rule of law, free trade, freedom of navigation, economic prosperity, peace and security. These elements, which are reflected in Japan’s vision of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific, also form the basis of our longstanding bilateral partnership.
As we approach 60 years of diplomatic relations in 2024, a milestone which I look forward to commemorating during my tenure, Jamaica-Japan relations are poised to leapfrog as a result of increased political support on both sides and a push to diversify our areas of cooperation.
-What areas would you like to focus your efforts to strengthen further the relations between our two countries?
December 2019 saw an Official Working Visit to Japan by Prime Minister Holness at the invitation of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Several important pledges and outcomes came out of this visit, especially on the economic front. Both leaders pledged to pursue further economic cooperation between our countries as a means of enhancing the J-J Partnership through increased trade and investment. This shared goal has been a major part of my mandate here in Japan.
With the signing of a Double Taxation Convention (DTC) on 12th December 2019, Jamaica and Japan took a concrete step towards achieving greater economic cooperation. At the bilateral level, the DTC provides a predictable environment for trade and investment and I intend to fully explore the vast opportunities for economic cooperation under this structured framework. This move was also important in the wider context of Japan’s economic relations with the Caribbean, as this was the first such agreement that Japan concluded with a Caribbean country.
To strengthen our economic cooperation with Japan, Jamaica also appointed an Honorary Investment Adviser this year in the person of Rodney REID – a Jamaican national and businessman who has been living and working in Japan for more than 25 years. Mr Reid has been supporting the Embassy’s work to cultivate and leverage strong business relationships in the Japanese market, with a view to advancing Jamaica’s economic and social development goals through the promotion of Jamaica as a viable and attractive environment for foreign direct investment and trade. This, in the context of Jamaica’s Economic Diplomacy Programme (EDP) which was formally launched in January 2021.
The EDP gives structure to our efforts to explore and leverage economic cooperation with our bilateral partners by tapping into the resources of our Diplomatic Missions and honorary consul network. I will also be collaborating with Jamaica’s newly appointed Honorary Consul in Osaka, Dr Masami YABUMOTO, to expand our reach beyond Tokyo to Osaka – one of Japan’s most important commercial hubs.
-More than a dozen Japanese companies have invested and are operating in Jamaica, but what sectors do you expect more investment in the future? What are Jamaica’s attractions as an investment destination?
As I mentioned, Jamaica is quite keen to expand its economic relations with Japan. In pursuit of this goal, we have identified several areas for enhanced cooperation with our Japanese partners, including agribusiness, logistics and renewable energy.
Jamaica’s geographic location makes it a prime gateway for connecting the Americas with the rest of the world and will provide industries with prime opportunities for swift delivery to final consumers (in excess of 800 million) with substantial cost-saving. Through its Global Logistics Hub Initiative which was launched in 2013, Jamaica will seek to position itself as the fourth global logistics node alongside Dubai, Rotterdam and Singapore.
This, based on Jamaica’s strategic proximity to major shipping corridors that utilize the Panama Canal in addition to its nearshore advantage vis-à-vis the United States. In recent years, the Government of Jamaica (GoJ) has also invested in the modernisation of the Kingston Harbour – the seventh largest natural harbour in the world – to accommodate Panamax vessels. With strategic investment and global partnerships, the Jamaica logistics hub will provide world-class human capital with logistics and supply chain management competencies.
The Japanese Government has already begun dialogue on possible cooperation with Jamaica for the Logistics Hub Initiative as well as the development of Jamaica’s special economic zones – the latter representing an area for private investment in the industry and Jamaica’s other value-added economic sectors. One such economic sector is agriculture.
Like Japan, Jamaica is working to develop its agricultural industry through agribusiness. This would allow Jamaica to tap into the agricultural value chain with a view to increasing exports. Japan has been a leader in innovation and technological application so there is certainly scope for cooperation in this area.
-Regarding the novel coronavirus, it seems that the infection has been spreading also in your country, which kind of measures have been taken? In particular, the impact on tourism, which is an important industry in your country, must be serious, but are there any signs of recovery?
Since the advent of the human coronavirus, no country has been spared from its widespread impact. In Jamaica’s case, our vulnerabilities as a Small Island Developing State have been amplified as a result of the ongoing pandemic. Belonging to the world’s most travel- and travel-dependent does have its downfalls when we are faced with a global crisis that has restricted the basis of travel and trade – the movement of people and goods.
The measures taken by Jamaican have been no different from that of countries around the world, including border control measures, work-from-home arrangements, school and business closures, among other adjustments to business operations to limit the spread of the virus. Notwithstanding, our recovery began in mid-2020 when we reopened our borders and gradually revived our tourism sector. On the tourism front, Jamaica is leading the way in creating a safe and secure destination for all. Despite the fall-out from the COVID-19 pandemic, Jamaica managed to reopen its tourism industry in June 2020.
We developed protocols for all segments of the tourist industry and very strict measures guided by science to manage the spread of the virus. We also established “Resilient Corridors”, giving visitors access to 80% of our tourism offerings. Since the reopening of our borders on June 15, there have been no recorded instances of transmission from guest to citizen or vice versa. Our efforts were even highlighted by the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), which lauded Jamaica’s robust “prevention and control machinery”.
As we reposition the tourism industry for sustainable recovery, Jamaica is also working on strategies to reintroduce our diverse tourism products to the Japanese market. First, the Jamaica Tourist Board took the important step in appointing Connect Worldwide (CWW) Japan as its representative to maintain a physical presence here in Japan. CWW Japan has been doing an excellent job of maintaining access to Jamaica’s tourism product as well as showcasing the new and exciting offerings which await Japanese travellers.
The GoJ is also working to ensure and improve ease of travel for Japanese visitors to our island. The opening up of new slots at Tokyo International Airport (Haneda) presents an opportunity for easier flights from central Tokyo to gateways in the United States, and by extension to Jamaica. We expect several airlines already serving Jamaica to make use of this opportunity.
As a gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean, we are also pursuing multi-destination marketing together with regional partner countries. To date, Jamaica has signed Memoranda of Understanding with Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Panama to establish a sustainable multi-destination framework targeting the Japanese market. This will include visa, air travel and accommodation arrangements to take the hassle out of planning trips to the region going forward.
Beyond these positive developments in the tourism industry, Jamaica’s overall response to and recovery from the pandemic has been facilitated in large measure through support from the Japanese Government. In 2020, Japan donated US$1.8 million in funding which assisted us greatly in procuring medical supplies and equipment to strengthen Jamaica’s response to COVID-19. More recently, Japan has provided US$1.22 million in grant funding to purchase cold chain equipment. This will ensure that both the access to, and distribution of, the COVID-19 in Jamaica is equitable.
-Since 2016, the administration of Prime Minister Andrew Holness of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has been in power, what are the administration’s priority policy issues besides addressing COVID-19?
Since his arrival in office in 2016, Prime Minister Andrew Holness has increased the Government of Jamaica’s focus on economic growth and job creation. This focus even led to the creation of a Ministry by the same name, within the Office of the Prime Minister, to drive economic growth and sustainable development. As the Prime Minister often says, Jamaica’s economic independence must now match its political independence. The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the importance of economic resilience as we assess the negative impacts of the pandemic on our economic growth trajectory.
In addition to ongoing efforts to manage the health side of the pandemic, Prime Minister Holness commissioned the establishment of the COVID-19 Economic Recovery Task Force in April 2020 to develop recommendations for business continuity amidst COVID-19, as well as strategies for economic recovery in the short-term. Among the major findings was the need to digitise the Jamaican economy and society, as revealed by the inefficiencies of households and limited productivity in the public and private sectors since COVID.
The GoJ will be embarking on “public sector efficiency projects designed to move public services critical to businesses and households online”. In this dynamic, we see an opportunity for cooperation with the Japanese Government in light of its own policy move to establish a new digital technology agency to drive Japan’s digital transformation.
Another important policy issue is the need to prioritize greater diversification of the Jamaican economy. Jamaica has working to leverage opportunities in logistics, agro-processing, animation, medical supply manufacturing, music and entertainment, sports, among other sectors and sub-sectors to drive economic growth. Though efforts to diversify our economy will require more long-term action, the Asia-Pacific region offers lucrative prospects for partnership in these priority sectors.
Beyond these areas of focus, Vision 2030 Jamaica – the country’s National Development Plan – continues to guide the Jamaican Government’s work to achieve sustainable development as well as developed country status by 2030. This overarching framework therefore serves the dual purpose of responding to Jamaica’s national priorities while contributing to its implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and other relevant international development frameworks.
To effectively achieve Vision 2030, Jamaica has put a place the accompanying Medium-Term Socio-Economic Policy Framework (MTF) mechanism which outlines the nation’s priorities for each three-year cycle. Among Jamaica’s strategic priorities for the current cycle (MTF 2018 – 2021) are the following: human capital development; social protection and social inclusion; values and attitudes; rule of law and timely justice; public sector efficiency and effectiveness; economic stability, growth and employment; international competitiveness; environmental sustainability and climate change response.
The aforementioned areas will continue to receive concurrent focus, even as we develop strategies and leverage partnerships to address the immediate and ongoing challenges facing our island due to COVID-19.
-Jamaica is a leader of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), what does CARICOM value in its relationship with Japan? What role do you expect Japan to play in socio-economic development of the Caribbean region?
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has a reliable and genuine partner in Japan. Since relations were formalized in 1993, the CARICOM region has benefitted from consistent official development support through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Japan-CARICOM Friendship and Cooperation Fund (JCFCF) in the form of grant-aid, concessionary financing, volunteer missions, scholarships and training.
Importantly, as a trustworthy partner, Japan’s assistance has addressed priority areas for the region’s development, including energy, the environment, infrastructure, disaster risk management and fisheries, along with the more recent areas of transportation and health. This longstanding development support is firmly anchored in Japan’s deep understanding of our vulnerabilities as Small Island Developing States. In fact, Japan continues to provide financial and technical assistance despite our graduation to middle-income country status. Since the pandemic, Japan has also been providing grant funding to assist with the overall management of the COVID-19 situation in the region as well as support for COVID-19 in recent months.
As our region looks to recover from the economic fallout, we can think of no better partner than Japan to assist in building our economic resilience. CARICOM has therefore been exploring opportunities for increased trade and investment with Japan to spur economic growth and sustainable job creation. Doing business with a trusted partner like Japan will lead to long-term, mutually-beneficial partnerships for growth.
I am desirous of seeing this partnership grow during my tenure. Recognising the value of the region’s relationship with Japan, Jamaica played an active role in efforts which led to the formation of the Japan-CARICOM Parliamentary Friendship League in 2013. This milestone provided the impetus for the Japan-CARICOM Friendship Year in 2014. One important outcome of the Friendship Year was Japan’s elaboration of its policy approach towards the Caribbean, which heralded even deeper cooperation between Japan and the countries of the CARICOM region.
Since my arrival, I have working with my colleague Ambassador from Haiti – as the only two (2) CARICOM countries with diplomatic representation in Tokyo – to revitalize the Japan-CARICOM Parliamentary Friendship League. We recently participated in an introductory meeting with the League in furtherance of this objective. As we move to amplify the scope of our engagement, a revitalized Friendship League would help usher in a new era of mutual cooperation and development for Japan and our region.
This would not only offer meaningful opportunities to drive support for our traditional areas of cooperation but also allow us to tap into new avenues that can complement and bolster existing cooperation, including green technology and digitization.
-In recent years, the conflict between the United States and China has become more pronounced in various fields, do you see any influence on your country? What are your country’s relationships with the United States and China actually?
The United States and China are two of Jamaica’s important bilateral partners with whom we share mutually beneficial relationships. As close friends and neighbours, we enjoy vibrant bilateral relations with the United States underpinned by shared values as well as strong historical and cultural ties. Furthermore, our two countries share similar concerns based on our geographical proximity. Importantly, the US is our largest trading partner and home to the largest Jamaican Diaspora. On the tourism front, we continue to receive our highest number of tourist arrivals to the island from the United States. Cooperation extends across a wide range of areas including security, energy, disaster response, economic partnership, education, youth and health.
Jamaica’s relations with China have also been rooted in trade and investment, technical cooperation and people-to-people connections. China is one of Jamaica’s major development partners and is contributing to our efforts to grow the economy and create jobs. We have diverse cooperation programmes, which range from infrastructure development and capacity building (through scholarships and training) to projects in areas such as agriculture, health and sport. Ties between our two countries date back to over one hundred and fifty years ago, with the arrival of the first Chinese settlers. Since then, Chinese integration into the fabric of Jamaican society has demonstrated the significance of our national motto “Out of Many, One People”.
As the world prepares to rebound from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, cooperation between the United States and China will be important for global recovery given that both countries are major powers in the economic and political arena. Moreover, the international system would benefit greatly from their collaboration in addressing pressing global challenges, including climate change, the paralysis of the multilateral trading system, disarmament and cyber security.
-If you have a message for readers of the Latin American Journal, please.
When then Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo ABE, addressed leaders from our region in August 2014, he spoke about three guiding principles that would bring “infinite depth to cooperation between Japan and Latin and the Caribbean, Juntos!!”
Today, the spirit of Juntos!! and its guiding principles – progressing together, leading together and inspiring together – are still alive and relevant. Through cooperation, we have progressed together; in our respective regions and collectively, we are leading the changes needed to achieve our priorities; and importantly, we continue to find inspiration in each other’s successes.
During my tenure as Jamaica’s Ambassador to Japan, I intend to work closely with Jamaica’s neighbours and partners from Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) – as a unified region – to further develop our relationship with Japan. The relationship has not only been built on political engagements or economic cooperation but also meaningful people-to-people relations and genuine friendship among our countries.
Let us tap into that spirit of togetherness as we aim for higher heights and deeper depths in Japan-LAC relations through “enhanced connectivity: connectivity of economies; connectivity of values and connectivity of wisdom” … Juntos!!
-End-
