Relationship dossier
Jamaica
United Kingdom
Relationship assessment
Durable bilateral ties, with investment arrangements and reparations advocacy as a point of friction
Jamaica toward United Kingdom
+20Jamaica has pursued reparations for slavery and colonialism, including through the establishment of its National Commission on Reparations and engagement with the wider CARICOM reparations initiative. Jamaica and the United Kingdom also have a bilateral investment treaty.
United Kingdom toward Jamaica
+30The United Kingdom and Jamaica have a bilateral investment treaty that provides a framework for investment between the countries. The United Kingdom’s historical relationship with Jamaica and Jamaican reparations advocacy remain salient bilateral issues.
Overall relationship
+30The relationship combines enduring state-to-state ties and a bilateral investment framework with continuing debate over the legacy of slavery and colonialism. The reparations issue creates friction, while the available scope of practical cooperation beyond investment is unclear.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Jamaica and the United Kingdom maintain a durable relationship shaped by Jamaica’s independence, continuing bilateral ties and a bilateral investment treaty. Jamaican advocacy for reparations for slavery and colonialism is a recurring point of friction. The scope and recent implementation of other bilateral cooperation are unclear.
Areas of tension
- Jamaican and CARICOM advocacy for reparations from the United Kingdom for slavery and colonialism.
Key developments
Jamaica became independent from the United Kingdom.
The United Kingdom and Jamaica concluded a bilateral investment treaty.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of bilateral investment and other cooperation arrangements are unclear.
- The extent of recent UK-Jamaica cooperation on security and development is uncertain.