Global Jamaican Community Gears Up for 2024 Diaspora Conference in Montego Bay – June 16-19

The 10th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference 2024 will take place from June 16 to 19, 2024, at the Montego Bay Convention Centre. The event will be held under the theme, “United for Jamaica’s Transformation: Fostering Peace, Productivity and Youth Empowerment.”

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the conference will emphasize investment opportunities. “We want to encourage Diasporians, who over the years have been asking, ‘What’s in it for me?’ to see that there are opportunities to come to Jamaica and find out where the investment opportunities are for them,” said Ariel Bowen, Diaspora, Consular and Protocol Division of the Ministry.

Long-standing agenda items such as health, education, and philanthropy will remain part of the conference, with national security also set to be discussed.

Foreign Affairs Minister Kamina Johnson Smith has announced that preparations are complete for what is expected to be a highly successful conference, with significant interest from Jamaicans in the Diaspora.

“It has always been big, but this year it is going to be bigger. It has always been great, but this year it will be greater,” she said in a recent post-Cabinet press briefing.

“The goal of the conference is to facilitate broader idea exchange, leveraging Diaspora insights for actionable solutions and forging strategic partnerships beneficial to both Jamaica and the Diaspora,” she said.

Johnson Smith stated that the conference also serves as a critical tool to inform local policies and development strategies through collaborative solutions which culminate in concrete actions and post-conference action plans for implementation.

“So what this means is that through our conferences, which are held every two years, more Jamaicans, with more ideas, more talent, and more resources, come to the table for us to work together,” she explained.

“We are anticipating welcoming a good group of persons from far and wide across the Diaspora because now we are engaging with our members in continental Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and as far away as Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, as well as our traditional families from the USA, Canada, and the UK,” Johnson Smith added.

In the meantime, Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Alando Terrelonge, who oversees Diaspora Affairs, explained that the conference will also celebrate the cultural heritage and achievements of Jamaicans worldwide while providing a platform for networking and dialogue on critical issues facing the Diaspora and Jamaica.