REMARKS BY Richard Smyth, Deputy Chief of Mission, United States of America Mission to Jamaica, at United States Agency for International Development's (USAID) 40th Anniversary Awards Banquet at the Hilton Kingston Hotel, New Kingston, on Friday November 22, 2002.
MADAME CHAIRMAN; your Excellency, Sir Howard Cooke, Gov-ernor-General of Jamaica; Ministers of Government; Ms. Karen Harbert, Deputy Assistant Administrator of USAID; members of the private sector; staff of the US Mission in Jamaica; ladies and gentlemen, good evening.
I am very pleased to be here this evening as USAID/Jamaica concludes a year-long celebration of its 40th anniversary and 40 years in Jamaica; my pleasure at addressing this gathering, though, is at the expense of Ambassador Cobb -- or as she is known to many in the countryside, Ambassador Sue -- who is this evening in New York along with the Most Honourable Prime Minister of Jamaica. Please allow me to extend Ambassador Cobb's greetings to you all. Also, please let me take a moment to commend the leadership and the staff - past and present - of USAID for the exceptional work that they have been doing over the last 40 years. Let me also recognise the outstanding contribution of the partners that work so closely with USAID, including the Government of Jamaica, the private sector, and the many NGOs (non-government organisations) and CBOs (community-based organisations) across the island. Together you are making a difference in the lives of all Jamaicans. Congrat-ulations to you all!
Over the years, bilateral co-operation between our two countries has evolved into a solid partnership, and strong friendship. We have shared a long and mutually beneficial relationship, building respect and trust along the way. Although the path has not always been smooth, we have developed unique bonds that tie our countries and our peoples together. Not the least of these bonds are those based on the values we share, our common visions of decency and progress.
The commonality of these visions is exemplified in the US Secretary of State. Raised in New York by his Jamaican parents, young Colin Powell grew up to be the man that both Jamaicans and Americans can be very proud of. He joined the US Army where he rose through the ranks to become a National Security Adviser to the President and later the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest military position in the Department of Defence.
In 2000, he was sworn in as the 65th Secretary of State where he oversees the formulation and execution of US foreign policy around the globe. In Jamaica, under the leadership of Ambassador Cobb, our engagement with Jamaica focuses on issues of sustainable economic and social development, and the delicate balance that the US seeks to achieve between homeland security and the efficient movement of commerce and people. Like the Jamaican government, we are especially concerned about issues of border security, narcotics trafficking, international crime, currency flows, and the spread of communicable diseases such as HIV/AIDS. There are many areas in which there is significant and close collaboration between our governments, and between American and Jamaican organisations and individuals.
These joint programmes and efforts are reaping daily successes in communities across the island and in the United States. The US Mission in Jamaica has an especially diverse programme. The Foreign Agricultural Service and the Commercial Service, for example, work to strengthen trade and business ties between Jamaica and the United States. The PL-480 agricultural commodities programme, managed by the US Department of Agriculture, funds agricultural research projects in Jamaica including the production of ackee and other fruit crops, as well as development of the dairy sector.
Similarly, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), based at Jamaican airports, operates a pre-clearance programme that benefits both US agricultural companies and Jamaican exporters and makes it possible for agricultural exports to enter the US without inspection delay. APHIS is also working with the Jamaican Government and IAEA to eradicate screwworm from Jamaica. Our Office of Public Affairs, the successor of United States Information Service (USIS), sponsors a variety of exchange, cultural, information and scholarship programmes which help to deepen the relationship between the United States and Jamaica.
On the security side, the US Drug Enforcement Administration and the State Department's Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs continue to enjoy productive, collaborative working relationships, marked by mutual respect, with their Jamaican counterparts in the Jamaica Constabulary Force, Jamaica Defence Force, Jamaican Customs, and other government agencies. And, of course, USAID and the Peace Corps.
The Peace Corps focuses on building mutual respect and forging cultural acceptance through a number of development programmes, while USAID has as its main goal, the fostering of economic growth and prosperity through strong partnerships and collaborative programmes. As I reflect on the work that USAID and its partners have undertaken I feel that I must emphasise that the US Agency for International Development is not merely carrying out US foreign policy in Jamaica, but it represents the heart and soul of the American people, and seeks to strengthen the bonds between our two dynamic nations.
In many ways, the work being done by USAID represents the best of America it represents a generosity of spirit, the ability to forge strong friendships and partnerships, and the coming together of nations and peoples for the greater good of all. As Colin Powell stated in his remarks last year as USAID began it 40th anniversary celebrations, "USAID is an important part of our country's foreign policy team. It's work is at the core of our engagement with the world ... In the state of the world, here we are, America, Americans, a people who want to share, a people who want to give to others, a people who want to show others what you can achieve, where you can go, if you will believe in democracy, if you will believe in the dignity of the individual, if you will believe in taking care of your fellow citizens."
SHARED COMMITMENT
As I close, I want to once again congratulate USAID and its partners on the exemplary work being carried out to help all Jamaicans live dignified lives in a democratic society. I also want to emphasise that we at the US Embassy welcome the opportunity to work with Jamaica to pursue common goals based on common values.
There is no doubt in my mind that our shared commitment to political and economic freedoms, to humanitarian causes, and to global stability and security are the fundamentals that ensure a strong, durable US-Jamaican relationship that will outlast those of us in this room, with our own personal, peculiar, and particular interests. Our nations will continue to work together to provide a better future for all of us. Thank you.
