The Bahamas, 1995

On behalf of the

Government and the people of the Commonwealth of the

Bahamas, I convey warm congratulations to Mr. Diogo

Freitas do Amaral on his election as President of this

historic fiftieth session of the General Assembly. I am

confident that, with his experience and diplomatic skills, he

will guide the work of this session to a successful

conclusion. I wish to assure him of my delegation’s full

support and cooperation.

I wish also to express my delegation’s sincere

appreciation to His Excellency Mr. Amara Essy, Minister

for Foreign Affairs of Côte d’Ivoire, who presided over the

work of the forty-ninth session with great distinction.

The Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr. Boutros

Boutros-Ghali, has continued in the discharge of his duties

to provide outstanding leadership to this Organization. The

Bahamas is particularly grateful to the Secretary-General

for his untiring and visionary efforts in pursuit of world

peace and security, development and international

cooperation.

Global changes in recent times have created

unprecedented possibilities for both progress and disaster on

our planet. Yet we fail to assume the responsibilities that

both possibilities demand. We have the machinery for this

purpose; we must take it out, overhaul it and make it

functional. This requires the review and updating of the

institutions and processes of international cooperation.

Within the context of the global consensus around the need

for such an overhaul, including the adoption of new

approaches, our tasks are greatly eased. If we accept the

adage that form follows function, we must now determine

what it is we are hoping to achieve, and what function we

are seeking to serve. The form of the structure for ensuring

the effective execution of that function will then naturally

emerge.

The framers of the Charter were determined to save

succeeding generations from the scourge of war. We have

managed to do this as far as global war is concerned, but

what have we saved these generations for? What is their

heritage? What is their future? Is it good enough to save

them for the seemingly inevitable lot of chronic poverty,

ignorance and disease, for the threat of nuclear

annihilation or the consequences of global warming? Is it

good enough to save these generations for a life where

the security and very existence of the planet on which

they live is in jeopardy?

Clearly, those responsible for establishing the

parameters of action in the past have not produced the

result that is not only desirable but necessary to ensure a

stable, secure and viable future. The question now is who

determines the assignment of responsibility. Is it possible

that those countries most directly concerned have

abdicated their responsibility, with the result that their fate

now resides in the hands of those whose interests are, at

best, competing?

It is only logical that those who stand to lose and

benefit most must assume the lead in establishing the

contours of the agenda for the process which will usher

in the kind of order that gives coherence to their ideas

and vision, and that provides for the attainment of their

objectives. This places before developing countries like

the Bahamas untold opportunities and challenges. One of

the major challenges will be to ensure that our

relationship with our global partners is truly one of

interdependence, and not masked dependence where the

majority of humanity are only subordinate players,

citizens of countries marginalized and on the periphery of

global change.

Genuine interdependence coupled with a true sense

of interconnectedness would eliminate the desire for

unilateral action. In this context, we are disturbed and

disappointed over the decision by two nuclear States to

proceed with nuclear tests after the solemn commitments

of the 1995 Review and Extension Conference of the

Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear

Weapons. The hope of the international community had

been for complete moratoriums on testing until the entry

into force of a comprehensive test-ban treaty, envisaged

for the end of next year.

The Bahamas is especially pleased that United States

President Bill Clinton, on 6 August last, unequivocally

committed his Government to ending all testing of nuclear

weapons, and further committed his Administration to the

completion of negotiations on a comprehensive test-ban

treaty.

Despite the easing of global tensions since the end

of the cold war, the maintenance of international peace

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and security remains a major preoccupation for the United

Nations. Religious and territorial disputes have presented

the international community with new challenges and with

the need to provide appropriate solutions.

Of all the regional conflicts in the world today,

particular mention should be made of the situation in the

former Yugoslavia. In this regard I must express my

delegation’s dissatisfaction with the continuation of

hostilities in that region. It is the hope of my delegation

that the efforts now being undertaken by the parties

concerned towards achieving a negotiated solution to end

that conflict will meet with success.

We also welcome the recent agreement on expansion

of Palestinian interim self-rule. This constitutes a major step

forward in the Middle East peace process.

It is the hope of the Bahamas delegation that during

this fiftieth session of the General Assembly every effort

will be made to take decisions that will sustain efforts

towards the maintenance of global peace and security.

It is with a sense of responsibility that the Bahamas

assumes a strong stance on the rehabilitation and

reconstruction of Haiti. We participated in United Nations

efforts to return President Aristide to Haiti. This is a second

chance for Haiti. We note that since the return of President

Aristide the gross human rights violations have subsided

and that the democratic process has now begun with the

first and second rounds of elections.

Elections, however, are only the beginning. Massive

assistance, financial and technical, is what is needed to

create the proper institutional and infrastructural framework

to facilitate rapid development in Haiti.

The Prime Minister of the Bahamas has stated on

several occasions,

“We in the international community have sold the

Haitian people a bill of goods. We have told them that

democracy will bring peace, stability, and economic

and social development. We must now ensure after-

sales services.”

Time is of the essence. The people of Haiti must not be

allowed to lose hope for the betterment of their condition.

We must ensure that we receive the necessary returns on

our investment to date. To do so requires a strategy for

ensuring that the situation that has given rise to the initial

crisis is not allowed to re-emerge.

There are now indications that some of the people of

Haiti have already begun to lose hope. I was informed

only a few hours ago that 216 new refugees were found

in the waters of the Bahamas. This brings the number of

new refugees who have risked their lives on the sea in the

last month to over 1,000. This cannot be allowed to

continue. The Government of the Bahamas, together with

the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) partners,

reiterates its commitment to playing its part in the

rehabilitation of Haiti.

The changes in the international system have also

made States acutely aware that attention must now be

paid equally to environmental security. Illustrative of this

are the issues of nuclear testing, the transboundary

movement of hazardous and radioactive wastes, and

natural-disaster preparedness, which are of considerable

concern to us in the Caribbean region.

Natural disasters have wreaked havoc upon countries

and people. The Bahamas extends its sympathy and

support to our sister Caribbean States and the United

States of America, which have just recently been victims

of this phenomenon. The Bahamas is encouraged by the

support given by the United Nations system, CARICOM,

and other countries, including Japan, Canada, the United

States and the United Kingdom, for the rehabilitation of

the affected countries.

A new approach requires a new attitude and a new

commitment to enforcing those aspects of the present

order which, though potentially effective, have been

employed selectively at best. Respect for the rule of law,

basic human rights and the dignity of the individual must

be rediscovered. There is need for a strong ethical base to

ensure integrity and honesty in honouring agreements.

This becomes increasingly important in the context of the

globalizing effect of trade and communications

technology. As commercial barriers are removed, we must

ensure that ethnic and cultural barriers are not erected in

their place, as these produce intolerance and the

concomitant intra-State ethnic, religious and territorial

disputes.

Equally important to this new approach is a

recognition of the revised roles for former leaders and

actors in our affairs; traditionally, matters of national and

international concern were dealt with at the

intergovernmental level. It is now necessary to recognize

that individuals and institutions, both public and private,

must have an input. Effective management or governance

must be inclusive.

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This realization does not, however, remove the

responsibility of Governments to conduct their affairs in a

manner that is both democratic and transparent, thereby

facilitating accountability. Democratization must mean a

guarantee of free participation, where the expressed will of

the people is fully reflected in the actions of Governments.

Such democratization must not be limited to States, but

must spread throughout the international system and its

several components. The United Nations, as one of the

principal elements of this system, must reflect this

democracy in its decision-making bodies, such as the

Security Council. The Bahamas has followed the

deliberations of the Working Group on the reform of the

Security Council with great interest and hopes that the

momentum of those deliberations will be maintained, with

a view to reaching consensus on the issues at an early date.

Once again, the Bahamas wishes to record its support

for the entreaties made by the Republic of China on Taiwan

to this Organization to examine the merits of establishing

an ad hoc committee to analyse comprehensively the

current implications and future ramifications of the

preclusion of the 21 million people in the Republic of

China from contributing to, and availing themselves of, all

the benefits derived from membership in the United Nations

and its affiliated agencies. The Bahamas also lends its voice

to those who encourage dialogue and meaningful

confidence-building steps between the People’s Republic of

China and the Republic of China on Taiwan.

The Government of the Bahamas is committed to good

governance and democratic principles, where human rights

and dignity are respected, and where strong democratic

structures exist, involving every stratum of society. Such a

context facilitates the decentralization of decision-making

to the communities which will ultimately be affected by

them.

My Government’s philosophy is based on the

following seven tenets: the exercise of honesty and

accountability in all public matters; the development and

strengthening of the world’s economy, so that all people

may aspire to suitable and acceptable living standards, and

to meaningful improvement of the quality of their lives; the

commitment to providing the private sector with incentives,

encouragement and scope for revitalizing and expanding the

world’s economy, so as to generate sustainable employment

opportunities for all people; the enhancement of educational

and training opportunities and the development of suitable

recreational facilities, so that young people will be equipped

for challenging careers and can lead purposeful lives; the

establishment of compassionate social programmes to assist

those in society who are in the greatest need; the creation

of a physical and social environment as beautiful and as

secure as possible, so that all people can enjoy the full

beauty and wonder of the world without fear, hindrance

or intimidation; and, finally, the development of mutual

trust and harmony among the peoples of the world,

irrespective of religious, racial, economic or social

differences.

My Government recognizes the vital role of women

in all aspects of this process. It seeks to ensure that they

are involved in shaping and moulding their destinies by

removing all barriers to their access to policy-making

levels of society and to their full involvement in the

decision-making process.

It is gratifying to note that most of the critical areas

of concern identified in the Platform for Action of the

recent Fourth World Conference on Women are being

adequately addressed in the Bahamas.

In fulfilling its responsibilities for shaping this new

order outside the Bahamas, my Government will seek to

ensure that its national priorities find room on the

international agenda and in the organizations assigned to

address these matters. We cannot decry the international

community for lack of action if we fail to provide the

necessary leadership.

We extend such an attitude to our commitment to

ensuring that the United Nations, which constitutes the

best mechanism for addressing such an agenda, operates

on a sound financial basis by seeing to it that our

contributions are paid in full and on time. We encourage

other nations to do likewise. It is a travesty that at a time

when this Organization has been assigned such a vital

role in the management of international affairs it is on the

verge of bankruptcy, with only some 60 countries out of

185 having fully met their financial obligations to date.

Responsibility for our future is in our hands. The

founding fathers of this Organization provided a solid

foundation. Regrettably, the structure erected thereon has

proved inadequate for the needs of the “family”. Let us

now ensure that in our renovations all concerns are taken

into account so that we provide not only shelter but also

warmth and security.