The Commonwealth of The Bahamas Signs the Samoa Agreement

The Government of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas signed the Samoa Agreement today at the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) Secretariat in Brussels, Belgium.

The Bahamas’ Ambassador to Belgium and Representative Designate to the European Union, Her Excellency Cheryl E. Bazard KC signed the document on behalf of the Government.

Bahamas Ambassador to the EU, H.E. Cheryl Bazard (left) signing the agreement.

The Samoa Agreement is a framework agreement on cooperation that governs the political, economic and cooperation relations between the European Union and its Member States on the one part, and the Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS) and its Member States, on the other part.

This Agreement unites more than 105 countries and approximately 1.5 billion people. It covers a range of six key priority areas that are of paramount importance to The Bahamas, namely: human rights; democracy and governance; peace and security; human and social development; environmental sustainability and climate change; inclusive sustainable economic growth and development; and migration and security.

The signing of this Agreement will not contravene or supersede the authority of the Constitution, the supreme law of the land.

The signing of this framework agreement on cooperation, will help to bolster fiscal growth and facilitate the continuance of a wide range of economic projects and initiatives in The Bahamas. Government agencies will have access to substantial funding for development and technical assistance thereby advancing The Bahamas’ progress towards achieving the Sustainable Developments Goals of the 2030 Agenda.