LAUDERDALE LAKES – Franz N. Hall, newly appointed Consul General to Miami, with responsibility for the Southern USA has assured Jamaicans in the Diasporic communities under his jurisdiction, that he will be continuing dialogue and collaboration for further engagement in projects to the benefit of the communities in which we reside overseas, as well as in Jamaica.
Mr. Hall was addressing a large of patrons and supporters at a welcome reception in his honour last Friday (Dec. 6), hosted by the Consulate General of Jamaica, Miami, in collaboration with the City Commission of Lauderdale Lakes, at the Multi-Purpose Auditorium located in the City Hall in Lauderdale Lakes.
The Consul General begun his duties on October 3, at the offices in downtown Miami and will oversee responsibility for the 13 Southern States in the Southern USA, citing that he is charged with the responsibility of providing consular services to Jamaican nationals in the region, and that the Consulate would also continue to serve non-Jamaicans who require visas or other varied information.
Meanwhile, Mr. Hall outlined his agenda during his tenure which included other activities that would increase outreach and improve accessibility of the Consulate; promoting and stimulating commercial activity between Jamaica and the USA; involvement in the wider Consular Corp and also within the CARICOM Consular group; as well as interfacing appropriately with the Jamaican Diaspora to strengthen the movement as the Consulate continued to be a f acilitator in the process.
Consul General Franz Hall
According to the Consul General, the time is now for further engagement within the Diaspora as he encouraged persons “to become involved in the Movement as a distinct channel of engagement to further objectives of Jamaica’s national development, simultaneously allowing the Diaspora a mechanism to have their interests and needs addressed in a holistic manner.”
He also informed that further information was forthcoming on the rationale, vision, location and status of Diaspora Legacy Foundation, started by his predecessor, as part of the Jamaica Independence activities of 2012.
Lauderdale Lakes Mayor Barrington Russell gave welcome remarks as he pledged to continue support for a mutually beneficial relationship between the Southern Florida suburb of some 30,000 residents and the Consulate General of Jamaica.
A career diplomat, Mr. Hall has served in foreign missions in New York and Washington, Counsellor and the Permanent Mission of Jamaica in Geneva, as well as Interim Permanent Representative of Jamaica to the Organization of American States (OAS).
He brings to the position a wealth of knowledge in the area of trade having served in the Ministry’s Trade Agreements Implementation Coordination Unit, which oversees Jamaica’s commitments under the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas in relation to the CARICOM Single Market and Exonomy (CSME) and The CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partnership Agreement.
Mr. Hall is a graduate of Jamaica College (JC), Kingston, and holds a Master of Arts in International Relations from City College, New York, and a Bachelor of Science (BSc.) from the University of the West Indies. He is also an avid supporter of the performing and visual arts.
