A euro 46-million agreement between Jamaica and the European Union (EU), signed at the recent third International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS), will assist the justice reform efforts, says Minister of Justice Senator Mark Golding.

Senator Golding told the Senate on Friday that money would help to improve the use of technology in the justice system; for example, in terms of the electronic reporting of evidence, using audio-visual links between remote locations, correctional facilities and the courts.

“… So we can have pre-trial administrative hearings without having to move prisoners, and a variety of things around technology and other efforts to improve the flow of cases, and so on,” Golding stated.

He was responding to queries from Opposition Senator Alexander Williams on how the portion of the package for the justice system would be used, following confirmation of the signing by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Senator A J Nicholson.

Senator Golding said the EU had committed “a fairly substantial envelope of funding” to Jamaica’s justice system.

Nicholson told the Senate Friday that he had signed an agreement during the SIDS conference in Samoa, which was held September 1-4. Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change, Robert Pickersgill, also attended the meeting.

Senator Robert Montague (Opposition) asked that some of the funds be used to mitigate the effect of climate change on the fisheries sector, Senator Kavan Gayle (Opposition) suggested that the partnership of public and private sector institutions be included in making decisions on the use of the funds.

Senator Nicholson explained that the agreement was part of the National Indicative Programme, under the 11th European Development Fund. He said that it will be used to fund projects in climate change and the environment, as well the justice sector. He described it as another tangible contribution from the EU to Jamaica’s sustainable development, and an example of the value of international partnerships.

He said that during the conference he also had bilateral meetings with representatives from Canada, Germany, Israel, Singapore, Sweden and Switzerland, and joined five other Caricom officials on a visit to New Zealand, which is seeking a seat on the United Nations Security Council in 2014.