Jamaica says UN walkouts are not part of its diplomatic approach
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith
Key Points(5)
- Dozens of delegates walked out of the General Assembly hall as Netanyahu began his speech to the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, amid ongoing criticism of Israel’s military operations in Gaza and its wider regional policies.
- The walkout prompted questions in Jamaica about whether its delegation had participated in the protest.
- Johnson Smith did not explicitly say whether Jamaican representatives remained in the chamber throughout Netanyahu’s address.
- However, speaking at a town hall with Jamaicans and members of the diaspora in New York on Friday, she said Jamaica generally seeks to remain present during General Assembly debates regardless of which country is speaking.
- “We are not a walkout country,” Johnson Smith said.
Jamaica does not use walkouts as part of its diplomatic approach at the United Nations, Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister Kamina Johnson Smith said, following questions about whether the Jamaican delegation joined countries that left the General Assembly during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address.
Dozens of delegates walked out of the General Assembly hall as Netanyahu began his speech to the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, amid ongoing criticism of Israel’s military operations in Gaza and its wider regional policies.
The walkout prompted questions in Jamaica about whether its delegation had participated in the protest.
Johnson Smith did not explicitly say whether Jamaican representatives remained in the chamber throughout Netanyahu’s address. However, speaking at a town hall with Jamaicans and members of the diaspora in New York on Friday, she said Jamaica generally seeks to remain present during General Assembly debates regardless of which country is speaking.
“We are not a walkout country,” Johnson Smith said.
“Jamaica tries to be present throughout the debate. All countries don’t, but we try,” she added.
Johnson Smith said Jamaica’s approach was not based on whether it agreed with the position of the country addressing the General Assembly.
“It’s not a judgment call as to who is speaking. We make note of what is being said, and that is a part of our understanding of the world in which we are,” she said.
She described the approach as longstanding, saying Jamaica prefers to remain engaged in diplomatic discussions rather than use its attendance at individual speeches as a statement about the speaker.
Netanyahu’s address drew protests both inside and outside the UN, with delegates from several countries leaving the General Assembly hall as he began speaking.
Johnson Smith’s comments came during a town hall meeting in New York as part of Jamaica’s diplomatic engagements around the 81st UN General Assembly.
