Ghana, Jamaica deepen cooperation in key sectors

Ghana and Jamaica have reaffirmed their longstanding historical and diplomatic relations, with a commitment to deepen cooperation in health, trade, tourism, culture and reparatory justice.

At the third session of the Ghana-Jamaica Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation (PJCC) in Accra on Tuesday, the two countries pledged to strengthen bilateral engagement and advance Pan-African solidarity through practical partnerships and sustained collaboration.

The session, held after a 21-year hiatus since the last meeting in Kingston in 2005, brought together ministers, diplomats, technical experts and senior government officials from both countries to review existing relations and explore new areas of cooperation.

Speaking at the opening session, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, described the meeting as a historic milestone anchored on shared ancestry, common heritage and mutual respect.

“It testifies to our shared desire to deepen bilateral relations and strengthen decades of mutual respect, engagement and sustained cooperation, guided by the Pan-African ideals championed by two visionaries, Jamaica’s Marcus Garvey and Ghana’s Dr Kwame Nkrumah,” he stated.

Mr Ablakwa said the relationship between Ghana and Jamaica had evolved from a painful shared history shaped by the transatlantic slave trade into one founded on solidarity, cultural kinship and purposeful cooperation.

He commended Jamaica for supporting Ghana’s successful push at the United Nations to secure the landmark resolution declaring transatlantic enslavement the gravest crime against humanity.

According to him, the resolution had already produced significant international outcomes, including recent commitments by French President Emmanuel Macron to repeal slavery-era laws and collaborate with Ghana on reparatory justice and the restitution of African artefacts.

Mr Ablakwa urged that the PJCC move beyond ceremonial agreements to focus on implementation and measurable outcomes that would positively impact citizens in both countries.

He also disclosed that President John Dramani Mahama had directed the technical committee working on the revival of Ghana Airways to prioritise direct flights between Ghana and the Caribbean once the national airline resumes operations.

Mr Ablakwa further revealed ongoing discussions on establishing resident diplomatic missions through the opening of Ghanaian and Jamaican high commissions in both countries.

A major highlight of the session was the signing of a bilateral health workforce mobility agreement expected to facilitate the deployment of Ghanaian health professionals to Jamaica.

The Minister of Health, Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, said technical teams from both countries would immediately begin implementation arrangements, including credential verification, licensing processes, orientation and welfare support systems for deployed personnel.

He disclosed that the first batch of Ghanaian nurses and other health professionals was expected to depart for Jamaica in June 2026, subject to the completion of final administrative processes.

“This is quite ambitious, but I think we must meet the deadline. That is what will speak to the impact of what we are signing today,” Mr Akandoh said.

Jamaica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, said the agreement established a formal framework for the ethical and mutually beneficial deployment of Ghanaian health professionals to Jamaica.

She said the arrangement would strengthen healthcare delivery in Jamaica while creating employment, skills exchange and professional development opportunities for Ghanaian workers.

Jamaica’s Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton, described the agreement as a major step towards addressing workforce shortages in the country’s health sector.

He said the partnership would help address shortages of nurses, doctors and specialists in critical healthcare areas, while promoting international cooperation in healthcare delivery.

BY CLIFF EKUFUL

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