Addressing the 57th session of United Nations General Assembly Sunday, Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell expressed the country’s concerns about the present economic order; The Bahamas’ “slow progress” in fighting HIV and AIDS; illegal migration and drug smuggling; and reaffirmed the commitment of The Bahamas to world peace; social development; respect for human rights and adherence to international law.
“We raise questions about whether globalisation and trade liberalisation can, indeed, function as a vehicle for progressive change in all countries large and small, developed and developing,” Mr. Mitchell said. “We are committed to adapting to change, but at a pace and in a manner and form that is consistent with the way we live.”
Government officials have expressed concerns that membership in the soon to come Free Trade of the Americas Agreement will threaten The Bahamas, a country which depends primarily on import taxes for the country’s income.
“The Bahamas believes that more can and must be done to assist our Caribbean Community to adapt to these externally imposed changes, through equitable and sensitive trade policies and by reform of the international financial institutions and their lending practices,” Mr. Mitchell said in his address.
The Bahamas is still trying to recover from the “knock-on effects” of the unemployment caused by the attacks of September 11, 2002, he added.
“We are taking steps to rebuild our economy,” Mr. Mitchell said. Using the opportunity to bring to the world stage the problems faced by The Bahamas in attempting to curb illegal immigration, the Foreign Affairs Minister pointed out that The Bahamas is “the unwitting transit point for illegal activities, the smuggling of human beings and the illicit trade in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.”
The Bahamas believes that targeted international initiatives, with the cooperation of the Government of Haiti, represent the best hope for the Haitian people, said Mr. Mitchell, who recently visited Haiti to discuss with Haitian leaders how best to tackle the problem, which has plagued successive governments.
The country is also suffering from increased violent crime from guns smuggled into our country from the United States, he said.
“These guns are terrorizing our society,” Mr. Mitchell said. “The Bahamas is working closely with the United States and other neighbouring countries to address these issues. There must be a stronger effective action to reduce demand for drugs in the receiving country. There must be more effective action taken to stop the flow of illegal guns.”
Mr. Mitchell also reaffirmed the country’s commitment to the rule of law, and an abiding respect for the right to self-determination, the sovereignty of nations, and the right of people everywhere that their Government, freely and democratically elected, will protect their rights.
“We urge world leaders to accept that the freely expressed will of the people is their sole claim to legitimacy and that the will of the people should not be subverted by any means,” he said.
