FOREIGN MINISTER SIGNS A HOST COUNTRY AGREEMENT FOR THE OPENING OF THE FIRST CARIBBEAN REGIONAL OFFICE OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS (OHCHR)

20th August, 2024

NASSAU – On Tuesday, 20th August 2024, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, The Honourable Frederick A. Mitchell M.P., signed a historic agreement between the Government of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The Agreement establishes the first regional office of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights for the Caribbean, adopted by the Human Rights Council on 12 October 2023.

The present Agreement will govern the regional office and significantly strengthen its capacity to promote and protect fundamental human rights. It will also facilitate the implementation of human rights obligations undertaken by Governments in the Caribbean region, including through the signing and ratification of international human rights treaties.

This signing is a significant milestone in The Bahamas’ history for its commitment to aligning itself with the principles of the United Nations Charter and the core values outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights law treaties.

In this regard, The Bahamas continues to be proactive in its stance to protecting and promoting human rights, both domestically and internationally, achieving significant achievements; notably, The Bahamas is party to numerous United Nations Human Rights Instruments, including the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD), the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

The Bahamas has achieved international recognition, serving as a United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) member for the 2019-2021 term. This historic appointment marked The Bahamas as the first member state of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to hold this position and one of the pioneering Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to do so.

The country’s membership in the HRC provided a unique perspective, which served as an opportunity for The Bahamas to consistently co-sponsor and support resolutions of the HRC relating to human rights and climate change, women and girls, the right to development, the right to food, the right to work.  The country also supported efforts to establish a Special Rapporteur to promote and protect human rights in the context of climate change.

The Bahamas also served as Vice President of the Bureau in 2021, representing the Group of Latin America and the Caribbean States (GRULAC), and chaired the Human Rights Council Task Force on accessibility for Persons with Disabilities.

Most recently, in November 2023, the Ministry launched the Bureau of Human Rights and Human Security. This specialized Bureau empowers the Ministry to act as a focal point in addressing human rights concerns with various public and private sector stakeholders on critical thematic areas that align with the Government of The Bahamas’ human rights objectives.
The regional office of the OHCHR is expected to open in the coming months.

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