THE MOST HON. P. J. PATTERSON,
ON, PC, QC
The Most Hon. P. J. Patterson, former Prime Minister of Jamaica (1992-2006), served for an unprecedented four terms as Head of Government. He was first appointed to the Jamaican Cabinet in 1972.
His diverse portfolio responsibilities during his career in public service have spanned the areas of commerce, trade, industry, tourism, foreign affairs and urban development.
In 1989 he served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Planning, Production and Development. He was appointed Minister of Finance, Development and Planning in 1990 and he assumed the Office of Head of the Jamaican Government in 1992.
Mr. Patterson has garnered widespread praise for his accomplishments on the political, economic and social fronts in Jamaica, and six full-length works on his life and policies have been published. The massive expenditure in infrastructure development under his tenure continues to pay dividends in attracting investment to the country.
A widely acknowledged figure on the international stage, with a track record as a negotiator par excellence, and an articulate champion of the cause of developing countries, he is a Director of the Carter Centre, and a Member of the Global Leadership Foundation, the Madrid Club and the Interaction Council. He chaired the 2nd Summit of the G77 and China, and has presided over meetings of the G15. . The number of International honors that he has received – from countries including Venezuela, Chile, Costa Rica, Honduras, Cuba, Brazil, Argentina, Ghana, Spain, Belize, Guyana and the FAO -- reflect the high esteem in which he is held internationally.
Throughout his career, he has been extremely active and vocal in the United Nations, the Commonwealth, the Non-Aligned Movement, Summits of the Americas, CARIFORUM and the Association of Caribbean States
Mr. Patterson served as President of the ACP/EU Ministerial Council and Chairman of the ACP/EEC Ministerial Conference. He played a pivotal role in the adoption of the Lomé Convention, which created a new relationship for trade and development between the countries of the European Union and 53 countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. He also played a central role in the founding of CARIFTA and its evolution into CARICOM.
He has addressed business leaders on policy issues and programs relating to finance, justice & the law, trade, social development, tourism, industry, science & technology, food & agriculture, infrastructure, energy, sustainable development, democracy and human rights.
He has been a featured speaker at Euromoney Conferences within the Caribbean, and at leadership fora of the private sector, both regionally and internationally, including presentations and panel participation in The Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Italy, Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria and Costa Rica.
He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1983, and is recognized for his expertise in British jurisprudence and international law, having been called to the Bar at the Middle Temple. He was named a Leverhulme Scholar at the London School of Economics (LSE), where he also won the Hughes Parry Prize for Excellence in the Law of Contract.
Mr. Patterson has delivered academic Lectures at universities including Harvard, Emory, Brown, Hartford and his Alma Mater, the University of the West Indies. He has addressed Institutes of Diplomatic Studies in Mexico and Spain. |
