The Tribune

By RIEL MAJOR

IN the wake of the deaths of more than 30 Haitian migrants at sea earlier this month, Social Services Minister Frankie Campbell yesterday told the United Nations Human Rights Council the Bahamas will continue its efforts to combat human trafficking and smuggling.

During his address before the UN with 16 other dignitaries, Mr Campbell also highlighted the connection between climate change and human rights and also acknowledged the need for gender equality and empowering women.

“The recent tragedy of 31 Haitian migrants that drowned near Abaco demonstrates the complex human rights implication of unsafe migration. We will continue efforts to address trans-border criminal activities such as smuggling and trafficking. These are the real threats to migrants’ rights,” he said.

“Last year the prime minister of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas and the president of Haiti jointly committed to utilise every effort possible to bring resolution to this problem. Other issues we are confronting such as youth unemployment and the trans-shipment of firearms are significant but we are tackling them with comprehensive policies and programmes to create a just safe and fear free society for all.”

Mr Campbell said as the first country of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to serve on the council since its establishment, the Bahamas believes the council’s membership should reflect the full diversity of the international community.

“Human rights are universal and indivisible likewise this council should continue striving for universal participation in its work. It should be able to be undivided in responding to gross violations of fundamental rights and freedom wherever they occur. Madam vice president, first and foremost we are a strong and stable democracy. We have experiences we can share while at the same time learning from experiences of others. As a small island developing state, the perspectives we bring to the international human rights discourse are unique, but so are our challenges and needs.

“In few areas is this more evident than addressing climate change. The nexus between climate change and human rights is clear because the threat is an existential one. The increased frequency and intensity of natural disasters due to hurricanes, accelerating sea level rise, and other life-threatening impacts bring the magnitude of the challenge into sharp focus. As a striking example, data suggest that between 2015 and 2017 major hurricanes cumulatively cost the Bahamas some $678 million US.”

Mr Campbell highlighted the Bahamas’ voluntary national review at the high level political forum last year July listing the commitment of not leaving anyone behind to reducing poverty and inequalities to promoting social and economic empowerment by protecting the rights of the females, persons with disabilities, the elderly and at-risk youth.

He said: “We know there can be no economic or social development without the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of women. The Bahamas has made major strides in strengthening its national machinery of the advancement of women. “Moreover we have developed comprehensive national strategic plans for gender based violence premised on three core principles prevention, protection and accountability.