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Minister
Mitchell Attends the 58th Session of the United Nations General
Assembly in New York
The Hon. Fred Mitchell, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Public
Service will lead a delegation to the 58th Session of the United
Nations General Assembly (UNGA) from 23rd September through 2nd
October 2003. Other members of the delegation will be Marco Rolle, Under
Secretary, Ambassador, Dr. Paulette Bethel, Head of the Permanent Mission to
the United Nations and officers of The Bahamas Permanent Mission to the
United Nations, and the Ambassador to The Bahamas to the United States, H.
E. Joshua Sears.
The 58th UNGA began on 16th September and will
conclude on 18th December 2003. The General Debate of the Plenary
Session will take place from 23rd September-3rd
October 2003. Minister Mitchell will address the Assembly on 1st
October 2003. The winner of the 6th Annual Rotary Model United
Nations Sessions (MUNS), students from the R. M. Bailey Senior High School
comprising Yentil Humes, Philip Glinton. Lori Burrows, Anithra Cartwright
and Gaynell Rolle along with their advisor, Mrs. Geta Williams will travel
to New York so as to be present when Minister Mitchell delivers The
Bahamas’ address during the General Debate.
One of the highlights of this year’s assembly is that Senator the
Honorable Julian R. Hunte, Minister of External Affairs, International
Trade, and Civil Aviation of Saint Lucia has assumed the Presidency of the
58th UNGA following his election by acclamation on 6th
June 2003.
Developments in Iraq, the situation in the Middle East and the recent
developments in Africa, particularly the civil unrest in Liberia, and the
Democratic Republic of Congo will likely dominate the discussion in the 58th
UNGA. Other issues of
importance include:- the Program of Action for Sustainable Development of
Small Island Developing States (SIDS), cooperation between the United
Nations and the Caribbean Community, the situations in Cuba and Haiti, the
Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), UN Special Session
on HIV/AIDS, Financing for Development and the Illicit Trade in Small Arms
and Light Weapons.
Meetings scheduled for the margins of the UNGA include:- meetings of
Foreign Ministers of the Commonwealth, CARICOM, Commonwealth Ministerial
Committee on Terrorism, the Group of 77, the Commonwealth
Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) and various bilateral meetings.
Minister Mitchell proposes to
meet with His Excellency, Kostyantyn Gryshschenko, newly appointed Minister
of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine to sign a Joint Communique on the
establishment of diplomatic relations between The Bahamas and the Ukraine.
The Minister also expects to meet with the Foreign Minister of Russia to
sign a Joint Communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations between
The Bahamas and the Russian Federation.
Meetings will be held with the Hon. William Graham, Minister of
Foreign Affairs of Canada and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan to
discuss Commonwealth issues.
Minister Mitchell will take this opportunity to meet with staff
members of the Bahamas Consulate General and the Bahamas Permanent Mission
at the United Nations in New York
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