The Most Hon. Percival Noel James Patterson (1992 – 2006)

A product of the dialectic sensibility of rural Jamaica, with its tradition of consciousness of its exploited past and a determination to develop for his country a self–respecting future, P.J. Patterson was committed to a socio-economic and psycho-cultural change to transform the majority of the people into creators of their own destiny as first-class citizens in their homeland.

He, like others of his generation, grew up with modern Jamaica from the time of the colonial system, on through self-government to Independence.

His political mentor, the late Norman Washington Manley, leader of Jamaica’s self-government movement, early identified him as having all the qualities of a future leader of the People’s National Party (PNP) and the nation.

Although he was later to become a leading barrister with a thriving private practice, he never hesitated to subordinate his legal career to his passionate commitment to political service to his country.

It was at the University College of the West Indies- UCWI - (now the UWI) where P.J. Patterson earned his Bachelors degree that, as Chairman of the University’s External Affairs Commission, he was first exposed to world leaders and to international political thought through his attendance at a number of international student fora.

It was also at the UCWI that Patterson developed his unquestioned commitment to Caribbean regionalism as well as the causes of the countries of the developing world for which he is now the acknowledged elder statesman, and authoritative front-line spokesman throughout the world.

His time as a Law student in the metropolitan environment of the London School of Economics (LSE) consolidated the foundation in international politics that the UCWI experience had provided.

This was also the time of national movements in the former colonies and it was during his enrolment at the Inns of Court (Middle Temple) that Patterson once again came in contact with a number of the future leaders of the countries of the developing world who were fellow students in England.

When in 1969 his predecessor as Prime Minister of Jamaica, Michael Manley, launched his campaign for the Presidency of the PNP, it was to P.J. Patterson, the youngest of the highest-ranking segment of the party executive that Manley turned to lead his campaign. This was the beginning of a partnership, which lasted over the next thirty years, and allowed for an exchange of political ideas and perspectives that proved beneficial to both.

Patterson was Campaign Manager for the People’s National Party’s bid for power in the General Elections of 1972. His exceptional skill as a political organizer is credited for the Party’s victory at the polls that year. That made possible his first appointment to the Jamaican Cabinet. Although only in his thirties, he already had a comprehensive grasp of complex and stubborn geopolitical realities.

Over the years, as his political career advanced, P.J. Patterson held diverse portfolio responsibilities for subjects as varied as trade and industry, tourism and foreign affairs.

At the height of his leadership, P.J. Patterson was the doyen of the Caribbean Heads of Government - a status achieved not merely by the seniority derived from time. It derives from the range and depth of the quality of his regional and international service. He played a seminal role in the political process that marked the transition from the first steps in integration – the founding of CARIFTA - to CARICOM, to the realization of the creation of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) and the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

As Prime Minister, P.J. Patterson consolidated his position as a leading advocate for the causes of the peoples of the developing world and he made his presence felt in the corridors of power. In the early days, during his tenure as Jamaica’s Foreign Minister, he served as President of the ACP/EU Ministerial Council and led negotiations for the ACP group of countries with the European Community, which resulted in the first Lome Convention. He was a passionate opponent of apartheid and an ardent proponent of the liberation struggle.

Whether in the struggle for a New International Economic Order; in the councils of UNCTAD; in the Non-Aligned Movement; in the UN Security Council; as President of the GATT ACP/ EU Ministerial Council; in negotiations with international financial institutions during his tenure as Minister of Finance, Planning and Development, he displayed his considerable intellectual qualities and enlightened internationalism as P.J. Patterson articulated the need for justice and equity for Jamaica and the countries of the developing world.

P.J. Patterson enjoyed the high regard of his peers in the wide variety of international and hemispheric groupings, including the OAS, the United Nations, in the Group of 77 and China - of which he is currently Chairman, the select G15 Group, and in the councils of the Commonwealth. The cordial and mutually respectful relationships which he has developed with a number of world leaders over the years make him a force to be reckoned with in international politics.

As Prime Minister of Jamaica, P.J. Patterson led the transformation from an inherited economy that was based on protectionism, state incentives and export industry encouragement, to a modern democratic state and economy that is open, globally competitive, inclusive and socially cohesive. His massive investments in modernizing Jamaica’s infrastructure development serve as both drivers and complementary forces in the acceleration of economic growth.

These investments, as well as the re-structuring of Jamaica’s financial sector returned huge dividends as Jamaica enjoyed its greatest period of investment in tourism, mining, ICT, and energy since the 1960s. P.J. Patterson enhanced and strengthened the social protection and security system of Jamaica - a critical element of his economic andsocial policy agenda to mitigate, reduce and, in the long run, eliminate poverty and deprivation.

P.J. Patterson’s commitment to education was evident with the introduction of a programme of radical transformation of the island’s entire education system aimed at development of quality human capital, equipped to function and succeed in the competitive global environment.

P.J. Patterson is acknowledged as a brilliant political strategist both at home and in the Jamaican Diaspora, where he enjoyed widespread approval for his considerable accomplishments in creating political, economic and social stability in the island.

He has also achieved a rare feat in politics - an extremely high level of respect and admiration from both supporters and political opponents alike for the courtesy, unfailing civility, non-confrontational attitude and constant search for consensus with which he has approached all national issues throughout his years as leader of his Party and country.

In July 2009, Mr Patterson was honoured with the Order of the Caricom Community (OCC).