UNDP Chief Alexander De Croo to Visit Jamaica

United Nations Under-Secretary-General Alexander De Croo will visit Jamaica from March 5 to 6 to tour communities affected by Hurricane Melissa and engage in discussions on crisis resilience and hurricane recovery with government and private-sector partners.

De Croo, who also serves as Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is expected to meet with Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness and members of the Cabinet.

In a statement on Monday, the UNDP said De Croo, a former Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Belgium, will also lead the Thought Leaders Dialogue on Private Sector and Sustainable Finance Partnerships for Resilient Recovery, joining CEOs and finance-sector leaders. He will further participate in a panel discussion with representatives from academia, civil society, and youth on Small Island Developing States and the Future of Development.

The agency said the visit underscores UNDP’s support for Jamaica’s Hurricane Melissa recovery efforts and offers an opportunity to gain first-hand assessments of the hurricane’s impact through engagement with community members and key partners.

This will be De Croo’s first visit to Jamaica since taking office as UNDP Administrator in December 2025. In his role, he leads a global team of more than 20,000 personnel across 170 countries and territories and oversees the new Strategic Plan 2026–2029.

The UNDP is the United Nations’ lead agency on international development, dedicated to helping countries eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities, and build resilience so that people and nations can sustain progress.