Wednesday, 5 July 2023, 11:00 a.m.  

• 
  Salutations:
  The Honourable Mr. Justice Bryan Sykes, OJ, CD, Chief Justice of Jamaica
  Stephanie O`Leary – Chargé d’affaires a.i., High Commission of Canada to Jamaica
  The Honourable Mr Justice Brooks, OJ, CD – President of the Court of Appeal, Jamaica
  Justice François Regis Rukundakuvuga, President of the Court of the Appeal,  Rwanda
  Grace Ann Stewart McFarlane, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Jamaica
  Tricia Cameron-Anglin, Director, Court Administration
  Dian Watson, Executive Director, Legal Aid Council
  Anika Shuttleworth, Acting CEO, eGov Jamaica Ltd
  Stella Murungi, Chief Digital Officer, Government of Rwanda
  Rosine Urujeni, Chief Operations Officer, Rwanda Cooperation Initiative
  Distinguished members of the judiciary
  Other representatives of the Governments of Jamaica and Rwanda 
   

Good Morning. 
Over the past nine days, we have witnessed a powerful example of south-south cooperation between Rwanda and Jamaica – one that has further cemented ties between the African continent and the African Diaspora.
It is tangible evidence that the global south is well endowed with the requisite skills and resources to lift each other to the next level in our respective development journeys.

The UN Office for South-South Cooperation says that as the world settles into the post-pandemic era, South-South cooperation will contribute to breaking the cycle of poverty, instability and development inequalities while promoting national development strategies.

Rwanda’s modernized justice services and systems are legendary, especially its alternative/ transitional Justice Services and Integrated Electronic Case Management Systems (IECMS). Jamaica’s impressive strides in advancing justice sector reform has gained momentum and garnered respect.

As a Liberia-born citizen resident in Jamaica, I was thrilled to play a part in bringing these two powerhouse nations together to learn and gain inspiration from each other.

In this instance, it has been an absolute privilege to facilitate knowledge transfer on Rwanda’s Integrated Electronic Case Management System (IECMS) for the justice sector in Jamaica under the Social Justice project implemented by the Ministry of Justice and UNDP in partnership with Canada.

This has been nearly one year in the making, starting with a Jamaican high-level mission to Rwanda in November 2022 to study Rwanda’s IECMS. Today we are at the end of a highly successful Rwanda mission which has resulted in evidence-based insights and a roadmap based on a Needs Assessment of Jamaica’s justice system.

With this roadmap, Jamaica can now inform the development of a fit for purpose Integrated Electronic Case Management System (IECMS) to bolster the efficiencies of its justice services and expeditious settlement of cases.  

A Jamaican IECMS will support local Courts in transforming their case management systems to international standard, consistent with output seven of the Social Justice project.

This is also aligned to UNDP’s 2022- 2026 Country Programme which outlines the need to strengthen equitable access to justice services, especially for vulnerable groups.

Case management digitization is the next frontier to be conquered by Jamaica’s justice system, one that is completely in step with Jamaica’s vision to become a digital society. As we proceed along this path, we must take lessons learned to bolster access to populations often left behind because of issues related to mobility, lack of access to digital hardware and services and other barriers. Digitization can be harnessed to level the playing field while reducing inequalities.

To this end, UNDP remains committed to supporting Jamaica’s Medium Term Socio-economic Policy Framework (2021 – 2024) and 2030 National Development Plan which anchor provisions for digitalization and justice as key priorities and development drivers. This is consistent with UNDP’s global mandate to accelerate digitalization as an enabler of transformation for sustainable development and undergirds our shared commitment to achieve Sustainable Goal number 9 – industry, innovation and infrastructure.

Jamaica’s ambitious plans for a digitally enabled justice system is in the capable hands of the Ministry of Justice and the Court Administration Division. It has been an honour for UNDP to partner under your leadership in shaping a more customer centric, accessible justice system that is increasingly sensitive to the needs of its clients. I wish to thank the Hon. Minister Delroy Chuck for his leadership, accessibility and determination which have been key to expedited and effective programme delivery. I also wish to not only acknowledge Chief Justice Honourable Bryan Sykes for championing the modernization and efficiency of local court services, but to express my gratitude to him for his commitment to and facilitation of the SO-JUST project.

To our friends from Rwanda, led by the President of the Court of Appeal, please accept our sincere appreciation for sharing your experiences and technical skills in a spirit of openness, unity and friendship. It is an understatement that your mission has been well received, productive and successful.

Our sincere appreciation also goes to the Government of Canada, represented by the High Commission in Jamaica for a longstanding and fruitful partnership that has provided the financing to support Jamaica’s justice sector reform agenda over eight years.

You can count on UNDP’s continued commitment to timely and efficient programme delivery focused on generating transformative results. I am confident that our collective efforts are foundational to fostering peace and non-violence as a new normal and delivering a fair, just and equitable future for all.  Thank you.