Policy Statement
Jamaica

Thank you Mr Chairman, Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Honourable Ministers, Excellences, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen. It is a distinct privilege to address this prestigious Plenipotentiary and to extend best wishes on behalf of the Government of Jamaica.

The opportunity is taken to congratulate the ITU Secretary General Dr Hamadoun Touré and Deputy Secretary General Mr Houlin Zhao, whose exemplary leadership have secured their re-election. Appreciation is also expressed to the ITU, and indeed to the Government of Mexico on the successful staging of Plenipotentiary 2010. The marked hospitality of the people of Mexico have made us feel most welcome.

Jamaica is dedicated to the use of Information Communication Technologies to drive development, increase knowledge and meet the challenges of our time. Since becoming a Member State of the ITU in 1963, Jamaica has been committed to the best uses of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) for the advancement of Jamaicans and the people of the world.

In the early 1980s, Jamaica implemented structural reform aimed at fostering private sector activity and increasing the role of market forces in resource allocation. Importantly, liberalisation of the telecommunications industry was achieved in 1999, the success of which has resulted in a total teledensity rate in excess of 100%, indicating near universal access to voice telephony. Further, Jamaica now boasts a robust and advanced telecommunications infrastructure which includes a 100% digital telecommunications network, extensive 3G and WiMax broadband coverage, multiple satellite uplinks, a submarine fibre optic transmission ring around the island and multiple international submarine cable links. We are now processing new applications for international fibre cable landing facilities. These milestones are important in the journey to achieving one of the outcomes of Jamaica’s Vision 2030, that is, to have a technology enabled society to the benefit of all aspects of national development. Success to date has allowed Jamaica to play a leading role in advancing the ICT Agenda in the Caribbean.

In keeping with the commitment to provide universal access, Jamaica has worked to bridge the digital divide within our country and between countries. Accordingly, there has been great focus on developing and implementing policy, legal and regulatory systems consistent with international best practices; enabling the aggressive deployment of Broadband Wireless Access technologies; while attending to critical concerns such as digital literacy, cyber security, data protection and early warning systems - as we seek to utilize ICTs in our bid to adapt to climate change. The tremendous losses within our region in recent times - regrettably Haiti, Chile and Mexico (our host) being chief among them, has strengthened our resolve to work collaboratively within the region of the Americas in this regard. Jamaica sees it as a priority to continue the important work carried out by the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and other regional organizations involved in advancing ICT for development including the Caribbean Community (CARICOM); Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU); Caribbean Association of National Telecommunication Organization (CANTO) and the Inter-America Telecommunication Commission (CITEL).

Our current Chairmanship of the Organization of Caribbean Utility Regulators (OOCUR) and Deputy Chairmanship of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organization (CTO) uniquely position us to foster greater cooperation and coordination in creating a platform for achieving Millenium Development Goals through the use of ICTs.

Jamaica remains unwavering in its support of the important work of the ITU through its Standardisation, Development and Radiocommunication bureaux, Radio Regulations Board and the General Secretariat. We commend the ITU’s signal contributions to capacity building in ICTs, development and count dissemination of best practices and the harmonization of radio frequency allocations among its many accomplishments. Notwithstanding this, we recognise that there remain work to be done.

Jamaica would be very honoured if we were able to contribute at the level of the Council (having had this distinction once before during the period 1990 – 1994). In this regard we count on your support for our election to the ITU Council. We commit to bringing with us the proven ability to work closely and effectively with our neighbouring States and the entire global community, in addition to sharing the perspectives and collective experience of small economies of the Caribbean in targeting limited resources to areas which yield tremendous transformative effects and outcomes.