Civil society advocate, Carol Narcisse, says nothing in the Samoa Agreement would undermine Jamaica’s sovereignty and coerce it into making certain legislative changes.
On November 10, foreign affairs minister, Kamina Johnson Smith, announced that Jamaica would delay signing the agreement.
The agreement is a significant grant donor deal between the European Union and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific states.
Tauna Thomas reports.
The Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society, JCHS, in urging the government not to sign, saying aspects of the agreement seek to bind Jamaica to unknown future outcomes.
It says this may include certain international instruments that have been controversially interpreted to promote abortion and homosexuality.
Advocacy officer at the JCHS, Philippa Davies, says the deal potentially opens the door for international donors to pressure Jamaica into aligning with certain grievous policies.
But Mrs. Narcisse disagrees. She says there’s nothing in the agreement to suggest coercion.
Mrs Narcisse says there’s never been an indication of improper inducement using donor funds to undermine sovereign action by any country.
And Mrs Narcisse is taking issue with how the government arrived at its decision to delay signing the agreement.
In a press release, the foreign affairs minister noted that following three years of challenging negotiations, the government was satisfied that the language of the final agreement would not supercede Jamaica’s domestic legislation.
Notwithstanding, the minister said the government had taken note of concerns which continue to be raised by local stakeholders.
Carol Narcisse, Civil Society Advocate speaking on Nationwide This Morning.
