Minister of Foreign Affairs the Hon. Fred Mitchell addresses the United Nations General Assembly.
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“The environment,
fighting crime and containing illegal immigration” were the highest national
priorities for The Bahamas as these matters “go to the very root of our
existence” said Foreign Affairs Minister the Hon. Fred Mitchell before the 69th
Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). He was speaking on the
theme, "Delivering On
and Implementing a Transformative Post-2015 Development Agenda" on
Tuesday, 30th September 2014.
Speaking further on these three central themes,
Mitchell said that all of the government’s efforts around the three main themes
“are buttressed by our work to ensure that we have a robust, strong and
sustainable economy.”
He pointed out that since the environment was central
to the sustainability of our number one industry, Tourism, it should come as no
surprise that The Bahamas has decided upon the following policy initiatives:
The National
Environmental Policy, 2005 (Draft); The National
Environmental Management and Action Plan for The Bahamas, 2005; The Bahamas National
Wetland Policy, 2007; The Bahamas
Protected Areas Fund, 2013; and The Forestry
Amendment Act, 2014.
Turning his attention to crime, Mitchell told member
states that “The Bahamas has been grappling with serious crime in our society, related, in large measure, to the inability of young males
to settle disputes without [resorting] to violence, and the resultant
proliferation of gang activity and illicit drugs, small arms and light weapons,
and ammunition trafficking.” This reality at home, he said, motivated The
Bahamas to become actively involved in the negotiations that led to the
adoption of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), an adoption Mitchell characterized as
‘a landmark accomplishment of the UN.’
“The Government believes the entry into force of the
ATT will contribute to peace and security in The Bahamas. We deposited the
Instrument of Ratification of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas to the Arms Trade
Treaty on 25th September, 2014” said the Minister.
On the issue of illegal
immigration, Mitchell said that the signing of a MOU with the International
Organization for Migration was part of a multi-faceted approach by the Bahamas
government to address the inflow of illegal migrants to The Bahamas
“This is one part of a
multi-faceted strategy to stop the flow of undocumented non-nationals into
Bahamian territory. New policies are now in place and there will be stricter
adherence in the future to these measures to stop it.”
The new fleet of defence
force vessels purchased by the Bahamas government in addition to a series of
important bilateral agreements entered into with our immediate neighbours to
the south – Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Haiti – were just some of the
other diplomatic and policy measures Mitchell listed as a testament to the
commitment and resolve of the Bahamas government “to come to terms with vexing
situations that impact our good relations. This includes accords on fishing and
on migration.”
Mitchell told delegates that The Bahamas anticipates
the launch of the International Decade for Peoples of African Descent to be
held under the theme, “People of African Descent: Recognition, Justice and
Development.” Further, The Bahamas welcomes the convening of the “Third
International Conference on Financing for Development”, to be held in Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia, from 13th-16th July, 2015 as he reaffirmed
the important role of the UN in international tax cooperation matters.