Above: Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller in Brazil earlier this year (UN Photo/

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Haiti is a close friend and neighbour of Jamaica, Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller said this week at the UN, calling for more support for the country from the international community.

The Jamaican leader, who was addressing the UN General Assembly this week, also called for the United States to end its embargo against Cuba.

“As a close friend and neighbour of Haiti, with strong historical ties, I encourage members of the international community to make good on their commitments,” Simpson Miller said. “The Haitian people need our continued support.”

Simpson Miller, who echoed a call by CARICOM to further global support for the country, said “Haiti’s plight remains deeply troubling.”

She also said Jamaica was working with its international partners to erect a UN memorial honouring the victims of slavery and the international slave trade.

“We are grateful for the generous contributions received to date to erect the permanent memorial and reiterate the call for continued financial support,” she said.