UNDP chief reaffirms support for Jamaica’s hurricane recovery

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Alexander De Croo has reaffirmed the agency’s support for Jamaica’s hurricane recovery and reconstruction efforts, while urging stronger partnerships with the private sector to advance the country’s broader development goals.

De Croo made the remarks during a two-day visit to Jamaica, his first official mission since assuming office in December 2025. He said the UNDP remains committed to supporting the country’s rebuilding efforts following the impact of Hurricane Melissa.

“Visiting Jamaica as the country continues its recovery from Hurricane Melissa, one thing is clear: the resilience is already here, in communities, in people, in the will to rebuild,” De Croo said. “The destruction is still visible, but so is the determination. UNDP stands in full solidarity with that spirit. Our teams are on the ground working alongside national and community partners to stabilize lives and to build the institutional foundations that will matter when the next storm comes.”

During his visit, De Croo addressed a private sector and sustainable finance roundtable alongside Aubyn Hill, Jamaica’s minister of industry, investment and commerce, as well as business leaders and members of the diplomatic community. He said development partnerships work best when governments create an environment that encourages private investment.

“You definitely need an environment in which the private sector feels at ease to invest,” he said, noting that while global public investments have fallen by one-third in the past two years, private capital has been increasing and access to advanced technologies is expanding.

He also stressed the importance of building an entrepreneurial middle class, saying that enabling small businesses to access capital and operate within a stable legal and tax environment can help drive economic growth.

De Croo, who also serves as managing director of the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), highlighted the use of guarantee schemes that reduce lending risks for financial institutions and expand access to financing for small and medium-sized enterprises lacking collateral.

“Our view is that development happens by the population of a country, by the leadership of a country, together with the private sector of the country,” he said.

While in Jamaica, De Croo also visited the Galleon Beach fishing village in St. Elizabeth, where he toured a UNDP-supported solar energy centre and met with fishers and community leaders. He said off-grid renewable energy solutions can help coastal communities strengthen energy security while reducing post-harvest losses and protecting incomes.

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The UNDP chief also held a courtesy call with Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister Kamina Johnson-Smith, reaffirming the agency’s commitment to supporting Jamaica’s resilient recovery and strengthening institutional capacity.

Current UNDP support to Jamaica includes loss and damage assessments, national recovery planning, community water access initiatives, solar energy installations, support for small businesses recovering from the hurricane, small home and roof repairs, and the restoration of coastal, forest and watershed ecosystems.

De Croo also held discussions with Chief Justice Brian Sykes and Justice Minister Delroy Chuck on ongoing cooperation to expand access to justice, strengthen restorative justice initiatives and digitize court records.

In separate talks with Water, Environment and Climate Change Minister Matthew Samuda, discussions focused on Jamaica’s access to the new global Loss and Damage Fund, as well as efforts to restore water systems and strengthen climate, energy and biodiversity projects.

Dr. Kishan Khoday, UNDP resident representative in Jamaica, described the visit as both historic and timely.

“The UNDP Administrator’s inaugural mission to Jamaica was a historic and timely visit that strengthened UNDP’s partnerships around Vision 2030 priorities like inequality, citizen security, justice, climate action and ecosystem resilience, and Jamaica’s national recovery priorities,” Khoday said.

De Croo departed Jamaica on March 6 after concluding the visit.

The former Belgian prime minister assumed the role of UNDP administrator on Dec. 2, 2025, and was sworn in on Feb. 3, 2026. As head of the agency, he leads more than 20,000 staff across 170 countries and territories and oversees the implementation of UNDP’s 2026–2029 strategic plan, which prioritizes expanding sustainable finance solutions for small island developing states through public-private partnerships.