Premiership
He assumed office as Prime Minister after Michael Manley retired in 1992, at a time when the Caribbean island nation was facing the formidable challenge of securing a place in a new global order of economic liberalization and deregulation.
Patterson led efforts to strengthen the country’s social protection and security systems—a critical element of his economic and social policy agenda to mitigate, reduce poverty and social deprivation.
His massive investments in modernization of Jamaica’s infrastructure and restructuring of the country's financial sector are widely credited with having led to Jamaica’s greatest period of investment in tourism, mining, ICT and energy since the 1960s. He also ended Jamaica’s 18-year borrowing relationship with the International Monetary Fund, allowing the country greater latitude in pursuit of its economic policies.
He made international headlines in 2004 when, as Chairman of CARICOM, he led the regional organization in the decision to refuse recognition of the Gérard Latortue government in Haiti following the removal of the democratically elected Jean-Bertrand Aristide from office. Patterson arranged for Aristide to take up temporary residence in Jamaica during Aristide's lawsuit against the United States and France accusing the countries of kidnapping him.
In one of his final initiatives as Prime Minister, he launched a program of radical transformation of the island’s education system aimed at development of quality human capital equipped to succeed in the competitive global economy. In addition, Patterson presided over a significant decline in poverty during his time in office.
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