MONTEGO BAY, St James — Addressing hundreds of delegates gathered at the Montego Bay Convention Centre for the 11th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference on Tuesday, Opposition Leader Mark Golding has put forward a bold proposal to expand opportunities for Jamaican community members living abroad to contribute directly to national governance by securing appointments to the country’s more than 100 public boards. He argued that tapping into the Diaspora’s deep professional expertise and enduring commitment to Jamaica would deliver tangible improvements to the quality of public administration and state governance, adding that the policy change does not require new legislative action to be implemented.
This year’s conference, which carries the theme “Diaspora Partnerships: Re-Building a More Climate-Resilient Jamaica”, marks a key milestone for an event that first launched in 2004. Golding praised the conference’s steady growth over two decades, noting it has evolved from a small gathering into a flagship global forum that unites Jamaicans from every corner of the world to exchange insights, collaborate on development initiatives, and strengthen ties between the island nation and its overseas community. He also paid special tribute to former Senator Delano Franklin, whose early work was instrumental in establishing the biennial conference tradition.
Golding emphasized that the Jamaican Diaspora stands as one of the country’s most valuable national assets. “Jamaica and the Jamaican family, we are a global people,” he told attendees, noting that the global community of Jamaican expats and descendants holds a vast reservoir of professional talent, financial resources, and deep emotional connection to the island, affectionately referred to by many as “yaad”.
Beyond cultural and social ties, Golding highlighted the Diaspora’s outsized economic and social impact on Jamaica. As the nation’s single largest source of foreign exchange earnings, the Diaspora acts as a lifeline for millions of households across the island, he explained. “You are, de facto, the most important social safety net that keeps Jamaica and Jamaican society on an even keel,” Golding said.
Beyond his proposal for expanded public board participation, Golding used the high-profile platform to pressure the Jamaican government to urgently prioritize post-disaster recovery in the wake of Hurricane Melissa, the Category 5 storm that made landfall on the island on October 28, 2025. Months after the storm made landfall, Golding noted that communities across the country are still grappling with the aftermath of the devastation. He cited widespread reports of persistent hardship, including elevated student absenteeism in affected regions, businesses still struggling to rebuild, and hundreds of families remaining displaced and living under temporary tarpaulin shelters in parishes including Westmoreland, St Elizabeth, Hanover, southern St James, Trelawny and sections of St Ann.
“Our priorities must be to restore the lives and livelihoods of those who are still suffering from that hurricane,” Golding stated. He called on the National Recovery and Reconstruction Authority (NaRRA) and all relevant government agencies to speed up the delivery of disaster assistance to impacted communities. “Prioritise the restoration of broken lives. Let these people get back on their feet so they can make their contribution to national development,” he added.