UK, Jamaica sign four-year partnership for Melissa reconstruction

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica and the United Kingdom (UK) have signed a four-year partnership aimed at accelerating reconstruction following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa and strengthening the island’s resilience to future disasters.

According to a release, the government-to-government partnership was signed on Sunday, November 1, at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Antigua and Barbuda by UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband and Jamaica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith.

The initiative will begin with a £10-million, one-year programme, funded equally by the UK and Jamaican governments. While UK funding has been confirmed for the first year, financing for subsequent years will be addressed as the programme develops.

The partnership is expected to help Jamaica secure significant reconstruction and development financing by preparing investment-ready projects and strengthening the island's capacity to deliver major infrastructure programmes.

A key focus will be providing specialist technical support to the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) to improve project planning, coordination and oversight, while speeding up the implementation of the Government's reconstruction and resilience programme.

As part of the arrangement, UK firms Arup, Mace and Gleeds will form the Jamaica UK Delivery Team (JUKDT), providing design, engineering, programme management and procurement support to NaRRA.

The consortium will draw on its international experience, including its work on Peru's reconstruction programme, where it helped deliver schools, health facilities and flood defence infrastructure in areas vulnerable to extreme weather events.

The JUKDT will work alongside Jamaican engineers, contractors and other professionals to speed up project delivery, transfer technical expertise and strengthen local capacity to manage major infrastructure programmes.

The programme will also seek to improve project monitoring, cost control and public reporting to ensure reconstruction investments deliver measurable results, transparency and value for money.

Johnson Smith said the partnership would give practical expression to the longstanding relationship between Jamaica and the United Kingdom through shared investment and a common purpose.

“By combining Jamaican leadership and expertise with the UK’s experience in major infrastructure delivery, we will accelerate the rebuilding of communities and the restoration of services, livelihoods and opportunities,” she said.

British High Commissioner Alicia Herbert said the UK was standing alongside Jamaica following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa.

“The aim is not simply to replace what was damaged, but to rebuild stronger: faster delivery of climate-resilient infrastructure to help protect communities against future disasters, alongside lasting Jamaican capability to deliver reconstruction and drive economic growth,” she said.

The partnership will now focus on advancing priority projects, strengthening delivery systems and establishing the foundations for a more resilient Jamaica.