Ghana, Jamaica revive joint commission for cooperation after 21-year hiatus
Ghana and Jamaica have revived the Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation (PJCC) after a 21-year break, with both countries pledging to turn decades of Pan-African solidarity into concrete economic and cultural partnerships.
The commitment was made in Accra last Tuesday at the opening of the third session of the PJCC between the countries.
The revival of the PJCC between the two countries culminated in the signing of four agreements covering health, defence, education and culture as both countries reflect on a renewed commitment to turn decades of Pan-African solidarity into practical cooperation.
The agreements signed by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the two states include a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the recruitment of Ghanaian health professionals to Jamaica, an MoU on defence cooperation, an MoU on the recruitment of Ghanaian teachers and an addendum to the existing agreement on arts and culture.
New chapter, shared Pan-African heritage
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, said the meeting marked a new chapter anchored in implementation and tangible results.
He traced the bond between the two countries to the ideals of Marcus Garvey and Dr Kwame Nkrumah, stating that Ghana’s Black Star symbol and philosophy were drawn directly from Garvey’s vision.
He also cited shared history from the transatlantic slave trade, which he said had been transformed into “bonds of solidarity, cultural kinship and purposeful cooperation”.
Mr Ablakwa commended Jamaica for co-sponsoring and supporting Ghana’s UN resolution declaring the transatlantic slave trade the gravest crime against humanity. The resolution, adopted with 123 votes, has already yielded results, he said.
Focus on trade
The minister said the two nations must now focus on practical cooperation in trade, agriculture, health, education, technology and climate resilience.
He highlighted two priorities – a direct flight between Ghana and the Caribbean and the establishment of resident diplomatic missions.
“President Mahama is passionate about this, and he has tasked the technical committee working on the revival of Ghana Airways that once that revival is completed, the route, Ghana to the Caribbean, must be a must,” he said.
Mr Ablakwa said the mutual visa waiver agreement, in force since July 2019, had increased travel between the two countries for business, leisure and cultural reconnection.
Priority areas
For her part, the Jamaican Foreign Affairs Minister, Kamina Johnson Smith, said defence and humanitarian assistance had emerged as priority areas for cooperation, with the new defence MoU covering counter-terrorism, military engineering, peacekeeping training and civil-military collaboration.
She also announced plans to operationalise the cultural agreement through exchanges of national dance companies and said Jamaica would offer scholarships to Ghanaian athletes and coaches at the G.C. Foster College of Physical Education and Sport.
On trade, she confirmed that a Jamaican trade mission led by the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce would visit Accra in July, with 38 companies already confirmed to explore investment opportunities in Ghana.
She welcomed progress on operationalising the air services agreement between the two countries, saying that President Mahama’s vision of a direct flight from Ghana to the Caribbean remained a priority.
She expressed gratitude for Ghana’s rapid response to Hurricane Beryl in October last year, when a 54-member contingent of the Ghana Army Engineering Reconstruction Team was deployed to assist with recovery efforts.
