Minister Fred Mitchell United Nations Press Statement

I am pleased to be back in The Bahamas after a fruitful round of meetings and activities centered around my participation in the General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly, New York.

The main purpose for which I went to New York for the ten days, 11-20 September 2002, was to deliver the principle statement of the foreign policy of the Government of The Bahamas to the United Nations General Assembly. In this first statement by the new Government, we reassured our friends, allies and diplomatic partners of our continued support for the principles of the United Nations Charter and the work of the organisation, and for the Universal Declaration on Human Rights.

We also took the opportunity to highlight, and to state our position on, a number of global issues that are of importance to our country, issues such as the fight against HIV/AIDS; illegal migration; the dislocations caused by globalization and the numerous challenges faced by Small Island Developing States including The Bahamas. At the same time, we expressed our concern regarding the urgent need for development in Africa and about the situation in the Middle East, and pledged our support to work in cooperation with the United Nations and the global community to seek viable and long-term solutions to these problems.

The number of bilateral and multilateral meetings in which I participated in the margins of the General were also useful, and yielded beneficial results for The Bahamas. For example, I had very successful talks with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Haiti, Mauritius and South Africa, and will move quickly to follow up initiatives with these three countries.

In the case of South Africa, we agreed that the Government of South Africa would review its visa policy regarding Bahamian citizens traveling to that country. Regarding Haiti, it was agreed that Foreign Minister Philippe Antonio and a team would visit The Bahamas late in November to begin negotiations on a new agreement between the Governments of The Bahamas and Haiti on migration and security, and on instruments of cooperation.

In the meeting with Mauritius, we gave our support to that country as the host of the 2002 Small Island Developing States Conference. Subject to the approval of Government, the preparatory meeting for the 2004 SIDS Conference would be convened in Nassau.

Our multilateral discussions, most of which were held in the context of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) relations with third parties, included significant dialogue with the United States Secretary of State Colin Powell and the Russian Republic’s Foreign Minister, Igor Ivanov. The Foreign Ministers of CARICOM also met in caucus, and agreed that the meetings with our diplomatic partners should continue on an annual basis in the margins of the Assembly.

I also participated in a constructive first meeting between Caribbean countries having diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China and the Chinese Foreign Minister, Tang Jiaxuan. The first meeting of Commonwealth Foreign Ministers, held in the margin of the General Assembly, also provided the opportunity for me to discuss matters of mutual interest with my Commonwealth colleagues and the Commonwealth Secretary General, Don McKinnon.

My meeting with Bahamians and Bahamian associations in New York gave me the opportunity to assure them of our support at home for their efforts as Bahamians abroad. For the Nassau Bahamas Association, incorporated in New York since 1912, and having just celebrated its 90th Anniversary on 17 September 2002, its primary focus is the renovation and refurbishment of the valued building it owns in Harlem’s conservation district. The support of the Government and people of The Bahamas is being sought, and we do hope that there will be some response to their appeal.

To sum up, The Bahamas has much work to do to raise its profile at the United Nations, and in the world. There are significant benefits that can be derived from a higher profile, including in the areas of commerce and trade, enhancing the lives of our citizens and ensuring security in our world. When Parliament convenes, the Government will entertain debate on questions of the Foreign Affairs of The Bahamas, and will solicit the views of Bahamian people, including through a Select Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House. I do hope that there will be full participation in the public discussion.

I wish to thank the entire team of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including the Permanent Secretary, A. Missouri Sherman-Peter in Nassau, the team in New York headed by Ambassador Anthony Rolle, and the delegation of The Bahamas to the General Assembly which I led, and which comprised of Ambassador Rolle, Ambassador Joshua Sears, Rhoda M. Jackson, Nicole Archer, Ordette Wells and Charmaine Williams. Their work was first class.

Photos: Top - Minister Mitchell at the UN; Minister with aides, being greeted by Parliamentary Secretary Ron Pinder, Guardian photo; Minister at airport news conference with Permament Secretary A. Missouri Sherman-Peter; Peter Ramsay.