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Statement by The Hon.
Fred Mitchell
Minister of Foreign Affairs & The Public Service
Head of Delegation
Commonwealth of The Bahamas
14TH NON
ALIGNED SUMMIT
HAVANA, CUBA
I wish to thank the
Government and People of Cuba for the warm hospitality that has been
extended to my Delegation. I
wish to convey our best wishes for the return to health of the
President. I wish also to
thank our friend the distinguished Prime Minister of Malaysia for the
able Chairmanship of the Movement over the past three years.
I wish to express the regret of our own Prime Minister that he is
unable to be here.
This Conference is
the first attended by a political Head from the Commonwealth of The
Bahamas since the Movement began. Our
aims and objectives were quite modest then and they remain so now.
The aim is simply to avail ourselves as a Country of the wide
variety of fora that are available through the United Nations and other
multi national organizations that will enhance our Country’s worth and
reputation around the world. Quite
simply this is a Forum that provides for our small Country a range of
contacts, influence and information that would not generally be
available in other fora.
Over the years, we
have followed the debates in this Forum with keen interest.
It provides a unique perspective on global developments, and
helps to inform the public debate at home, whilst we move to decide a
broad range of public policy issues in the foreign affairs arena.
This is also a
valuable opportunity for The Bahamas to reiterate its well known
position that we stand for the right of self determination, sovereignty
and independence for all Peoples around the world.
We believe that there ought to be regular and specific
opportunities for adults in all nations to make decisions on whom they
wish to govern them, and, on the policies that will affect their lives.
In this regard, we
have had universal adult suffrage in our Country since 1967. Before that there were limited franchises but the history of
our Country is that of going back to the governed for their assent to
those who govern them.
Shortly, the
Bahamian People will be asked, as they are every five years, to give
their assent to the policies, programmes and individuals that govern
their lives.
In this Movement,
we join our Sister CARICOM Countries.
We congratulate Haiti and St. Kitts and Nevis for joining the Non
Aligned Movement. We trust
that their membership will be as instructive as it is for The Bahamas
and other CARICOM Countries.
It is with some
satisfaction that we note that the range of issues that are covered in
the Conference deal with the very central issue of self determination. The question remains, however, in what circumstances is it
ever right for the world community at large to intervene in the affairs
of another nation.
Many times, the
world community sees injustice and is slow to move to correct that
injustice because --and rightfully so-- it is slow to interfere in the
internal affairs of another Nation.
Recent reforms at the United Nations in the reconstitution of the
Human Rights Commission into the Human Rights Council, being one such
example, suggest that the world community believes that, not
withstanding the general principle of non-interference in the internal
affairs of another country, there is a time when the world must be
concerned about what is happening within the secure borders of another
country. It really is a
question of judgment, but, when the common human rights standards are
violated, it must give cause to be concerned and sometimes to act to
correct those problems.
We would also take
the opportunity in this Forum to argue in favour of the special status
of the Caribbean region as a nuclear free zone.
We call on the States that are presently responsible for the
shipment of nuclear waste through the waters of the Caribbean Region, to
cease to do so. We are
pleased that the issue of the peaceful use of nuclear energy in this
Forum is addressed, and, while it may not meet all our concerns, it at
least provides the basis for the rationale that those who seek to use
nuclear energy have rights, but, they also have obligations, and they
must fulfill those obligations within the spirit and the letter of the
Conventions that they have signed.
We, of course,
embrace one of the central themes of the Movement, and that is, the
eradication of poverty. The
Caribbean Region has embraced this as an article of faith, and it is, of
course, one of the Millennium Development Goals.
Our Country is committed to halving poverty in The Bahamas by the
year 2015.
Mr. Chairman,
We have been
impressed by the very frank review of the strengths, weaknesses,
achievements, current efforts, potential, and therefore, the way forward
for our Movement. We have
noted also, the very considered, critical and even visionary proposals
which have been put forward. This
is especially significant as one of the objectives of this Summit is the
culmination of the self-review to revitalize and crystallize the
relevance of our Movement for the Twenty-First Century.
In this context, we wish to draw special attention to the
National Plan of Action which is being recommended to chart the way
forward until our next Summit. The
National Plan of Action should include a summary of traditional
positions to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our
Members. In our view,
however, the Plan should also capture, in an overriding strategy or set
of strategies, at least one of the creative proposals presented during
our Debate, either for completion, or as a building block, into an
achievement which will forever mark the Havana Summit.
By so doing, we will not only capture the hearts of our Peoples,
but also send a message to the rest of the world, whose eyes are on us
through our Observers, Guests, and the international media, that the
vitality of the Movement which gave substance to self-determination,
decolonization and the eradication of apartheid, is undiminished.
I wish to add with
regard to the adoption of the final document of the 14th
Summit that while The Bahamas agrees generally with much of the text,
there are some issues which do not accurately reflect our country’s
views, but because of the nature of these processes we accept that they
cannot be reflected in a general declaration at this time.
It is, therefore,
only left for me to say that we believe that this is a useful Forum for
the exchange of ideas, and for the promotion of peace and goodwill
throughout the world. We
found especially useful the statement made by our distinguished friend
and brother the Chairman of the Group of 77 and China His Excellency
Thabo Mbeki, the President of South Africa.
We join all those who have made a special plea on behalf of
Africa, to ensure that there is the just use of her natural resources,
the promotion of self determination and human rights, the education and
development of her Peoples, and the responsible use of her wealth.
Once again Mr.
Chair it is an honour to address this Forum in Havana, Cuba, and I thank
this Conference for its attention.
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