The Government of the United Kingdom (UK) and the Government of Jamaica on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding to formalise the UK-Jamaica Violence Prevention Partnership (VPP).
The UK has committed £15 million to the partnership over the next six years to support the Government of Jamaica’s (GOJ) efforts to reduce violent crime. The VPP was announced by former UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly when he visited Jamaica in May 2023.
The partnership is to support the GOJ to develop more effective responses to the underlying causes of violence locally.
According to information coming from the UK High Commission in Jamaica, the partnership is to promote an integrated, evidence-based and multisectoral response to address the root causes of violence in a number of schools and targeted communities.
The programme is to be implemented within the framework of the GOJ’s Citizen Security Plan (CSP), and is to target seven vulnerable communities and schools within the areas.
The VPP is to build on previous social intervention and crime prevention support provided by the UK, including the Citizen Security and Justice Programme (CSJPIII), which was jointly funded with the Inter-American Development Bank and Government of Canada from 2014-2020.
