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Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM |
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Fred Mitchell is pictured speaking at the official opening of his Ministry’s Second Annual ‘Diplomatic Week,’ held in Nassau October 18 – 24. At right is Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sheila Carey.
fine. just to clarify that the remarks on the young people and the campaign that they were excerpted from a speech which was prepared for delivery on Sunday but which excerpt is now being released as a statement from me.
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NASSAU, Bahamas,
Oct. 26, 2015 -- The Bahamas is set to make a historic
first-time bid to sit on the United Nations Human Rights Council when elections
are held on Wednesday, October 28, 2015, at the United Nations Headquarters in
New York.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Fred Mitchell cited the importance
of the up-coming vote in his address at the official opening of his Ministry’s
Second Annual ‘Diplomatic Week,’ held in Nassau October 18 – 24.
Noting that there is there is a Latin American and Caribbean group on the U.N.
Human Rights Council, Mr. Mitchell pointed out that no small island developing
state “from the Caribbean group has ever sat on the Council.”
Should The Bahamas succeed in its bid it will cap a vigorous campaign conducted
by the Bahamas Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Bahamian diplomats at the
Bahamas U.N. Mission in New York.
On Tuesday, October 20, in a lecture delivered at the College of The Bahamas, Permanent
Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sheila Carey made a strong case in
support of “the diplomacy of small island states.”
“When we examine the manner in which small states conduct their diplomacy to
pursue their foreign policy objectives and manage their participation in the
global community of nations, let’s be clear about one thing: the majority of
the worlds’ states are small,” Ms. Carey declared. “Rather than relegate small
states to the sidelines, the study of small state diplomacy provides tremendous
insight into the practice of modern diplomacy itself. As such, diplomacy as
practised by small states is a subset of the basic themes and methods of
diplomacy in general; and small states are necessary and active partners in the
global community of nations.”
Ms. Carey added that studies suggest that in an effort “to overcome the
vulnerabilities faced by small states (lack of overt economic and military
power, susceptibility to external forces etc.), small states compensate for
their lack of power by seeking to promote their interests in international
institutions and emphasizing the soft power inherent in international legality.”
“This exercise of power is possible because modern diplomacy has created a
situation whereby international legality can hold its own against, and in
theory is more legitimate than, economic and military power,” Ms. Carey said. “Thus,
the Bahamian Foreign Service officer can sit at the negotiating table
representing the country’s policies with the same rights as his/her big country
counterparts. That isn’t to say that economic and military might does not
influence the state of global affairs – but they are not the sole determinants.”
Foreign Affairs and Immigration Minister Mitchell used this excerpt from his
Permanent Secretary’s lecture in his opening remarks at the at Diplomatic Week,
declaring that it is “against that background that we are asking the support of
your countries for our effort to become the first English-speaking Caribbean
nation and small island developing state from CARICOM to sit on the United
Nations Human Rights Council. There is
the Latin American and Caribbean group but no one from the Caribbean group has
ever sat on the Council. We think it is
time.”
Mr. Mitchell added: “We think, more
importantly, that we have something to contribute and amongst other things we
believe that the world’s interest in migration at the moment is a subject to which
The Bahamas can contribute. We
experience thousands of economic migrants coming to our shores without leave
every year and it is important from the Caribbean perspective on these issues
to find their way into this world forum.”
Mr. Mitchell also noted in a subsequent statement that win lose or draw the
campaign would have been a success for many reasons, adding thatd it will “have
given our diplomats the opportunity to punch above their weight, and test the
global waters on the influence and impact which our small country has on the
world stage.”
“The campaign is run almost exclusively by our diplomats who are under the age
of forty years, most of them under the age of 30,” Mr. Mitchell said. “It is
part of my philosophy that this country is a country of young people and they
should be given the chance as early on in their lives as possible to embrace
their country, shape its future and impact its present and forward
direction. Standing behind them is an
able cadre of mature diplomats. But make
no mistake, this is a young diplomat’s campaign.”
The Foreign Affairs and Immigration Minister added, “This is my philosophy of
governance: let the younger ones do it.
They have the energy, the verve, the stamina and the ideas. I developed that view over the years of my
own experience of being blocked in my public life by one force or another from
this tiresome phrase: you are too young.
”Lastly, I want to say on this occasion that should we win the seat on the
Human Rights Council we will be fighting for gender equality. The Government stands behind the amendments
to the constitution to give women full rights in this country; to allow single
men to pass on their citizenship to their children. The government believes that women should
enjoy equal rights, equal pay and equal pay for work of equal value. Please pray
for our success
on Wednesday.”
© Copyright 2015 by thebahamasweekly.com
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