Future international and national engagements are being coordinated in an effort to assess and enhance, as necessary, The Bahamas’ human rights framework in accordance with international best standards while ensuring compliance with international conventions and accords.
H.E. DAMIAN GOMEZ, QC, AMBASSADOR FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, MET, LAST WEEK, IN MEETINGS WITH MEMBERS OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE SECRETARIAT FOR ACCESS TO RIGHTS AND EQUITY AND SEVERAL PERMANENT MISSIONS TO THE OAS.
The Bahamas is committed to the promotion and preservation of human rights as a central tenet of its foreign policy.This commitment has been reinforced with the appointment of H.E. Damian Gomez, QC as Ambassador for Human Rights.The Ambassador will coordinate his work with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through relevant overseas missions, including the Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva and the Permanent Mission to the Organization of American States (OAS) in Washington DC, respectively.
The appointment of Ambassadors of Human Rights is an increasing international practice and thus, this appointment joins a number of diplomatic appointees with thematic responsibilities in an effort to elevate the focus of The Bahamas’s foreign policy on national and global priority issues.
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Damian Gomez, Ambassador for Human Rights, accompanied by Sonia Rose, Minister Counsellor & Alternate Representative, Bahamas Permanent Mission and Ashley Munroe-Cargill, Second Secretary & Vice-Counsel, Bahamas Embassy, met representatives from the IACHR, OAS, virtually, Commissioner Margarette May Macaulay, Country Rapporteur for The Bahamas; Fabio Balestro, Advisory Office for State, Jean Marc-Morris, Monitoring Unit III, and in-person with Mario Lopez, Sr. Executive, Paul Spencer, Sr. Advisor on the Caribbean, Fernanda Dos Anjos, Coordinator, Precautionary Measures; Luisa Silva, Human Rights Specialist
Ambassador Gomez paid a courtesy call on H.E. Wendall K. Jones, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United States
Later that day, Ambassador Gomez, visited the Permanent Mission of Canada for a meeting with H.E. Hugh Adsett, Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States.
These bilateral meetings concluded on July 15 when Ambassador Gomez met H.E. Rita Claverie Diaz de Sciolli, Guatemala Permanent Representative to the OAS (right). It was agreed that there is room for collaboration as both parties considered the impact of global change, irregular migration and human rights violations on the socio-economic development of their respective country. Ambassador Diaz de Sciolli provided copies of Guatemala’s perspective with regards to the ongoing oversight of the IACHR.
On July 13, Ambassador Gomez paid a courtesy call on Secretary Maricarmen Plata, Secretariat for Access to Rights and Equity (SARE). Secretary Plata agreed that the Secretariat will share the portfolio of projects that feature The Bahamas; assist with the development of best practices with respect to human rights, and provide technical support to The Bahamas as it seeks to standardize best practices for managing irregular migration, and the provision of social justice and inclusion
