STATEMENT

by

HER EXCELLENCY MS. KEVA L. BAIN
PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE BAHAMAS TO THE UNITED NATIONS OFFICE AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS IN GENEVA

      GENERAL SEGMENT OF THE 43^RD SESSION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL

Wednesday 26 February 2020

                                                                        Geneva, Switzerland                                                                                   
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Madam Vice President,   

Just over six months ago, Hurricane Dorian made landfall on two islands of The Bahamas, Abaco and Grand Bahama.  It was the strongest hurricane to ever hit our archipelagic nation and was one of the most powerful ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean.  It resulted in the worst natural disaster in our country’s history.

The Bahamas appreciates the solidarity expressed by so many States and is grateful to the UN system, including the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), for visits made to The Bahamas since the storm.  We welcome all efforts to support us in ensuring that fundamental human rights continue to be promoted and protected throughout our archipelago.

The Bahamas is fully committed to “building back, better”.  However, in order to do so, skewed metrics such as GDP per capita, which disqualify us from concessionary financing and development assistance, cannot continue to be applied.  Such an approach takes no account of our unique characteristics and vulnerabilities.

Madam Vice President,   

We have witnessed first-hand how a single storm can erode, in a matter of hours, the development gains that we have made over decades.  Climate change plainly reveals the mutually reinforcing and interdependent nature of all human rights, from the rights to health, life, an adequate standard of living, a healthy environment, education and the right to development.

The Bahamas welcomes the growing attention of the Council to climate change and the leadership shown by High Commissioner Bachelet, in this regard.  As one of only a few SIDS currently serving on the Council, we firmly believe that a State’s size is never more important than whether its stance is on the side of dignity and full respect for all. We therefore fully support increased universality of participation in the Council’s work and diversity of its membership.  The Bahamas commends the work of the Trust Fund for the participation of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and SIDS in the work of the Human Rights Council (HRC) and its valuable contribution to capacity-building.  We call for continued support and contributions to the Fund.
The Bahamas also believes in the importance of having a strong treaty body system which has space for a diversity of voices. Accordingly, The Bahamas has nominated Ms. Marion Bethel for re-election to the CEDAW Committee for the term 2021-2024. Ms. Bethel is the first Bahamian national to serve on a UN Human Rights Treaty Body.

Madam Vice President,

The OAS General Assembly will be hosted by The Bahamas in June 2020 and will provide further opportunity to discuss human rights in the Americas region.

The current financial climate also compels us to reflect on whether we can continue to do more with less.  We firmly believe that the UN human rights pillar is indispensable, and we must ensure that it is equipped with adequate resources to conduct its important work.  At the same time, we need to also ask ourselves how the work we are doing can be best harnessed to bring about real and meaningful change, for all those whose hope lies in the work we do.  Since its establishment, the Council has adopted some 1,000 resolutions, therefore, implementation and results on the ground must be of utmost priority, as we consider the future of the HRC.

Madam Vice President,   

Despite the mounting challenges we face, in both national and international contexts, human rights are always worth fighting for.  The Bahamas reaffirms that it will continue to be a steadfast partner in the call to action.

I thank you.