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Ambassador
Deputy Chief of Mission
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My Vision for Bahamas/U.S. RelationsJanuary 23, 2006I'm honored to be here today to again participate in the Bahamas Business Outlook Conference.
In many cultures, people who have a "vision" have either just come down from a mountaintop or have spent three days chanting naked in the desert. But, in the American culture, vision is a part of every successful business, university, or government agency. Given this focus on what former President Bush once called "the vision thing," I suppose it is not surprising that an American Ambassador would be vision oriented. Which is -- I am sure -- why you have asked me speak today on the topic: "My Vision for the United States - Bahamas Relationship".
Each year, all U.S. Embassies are required to submit a Mission Program Plan that outlines our goals -- our vision -- for the relationship with our host country. As a result, we have given serious thought to our bilateral relationship and the direction we would like it to take in the years ahead.
Whatever we call it -- a vision, a goal or a business plan -- the basic point is simple: progress rarely occurs without first setting goals and determining how to reach them. One of my favorite business writers, Steven Covey, has observed that all things are created twice: once when they are conceptualized, and then again when they are made reality. He calls this process "beginning with the end in mind".
This same process can be applied to international relations. To build a successful bilateral relationship, we must occasionally step back and free ourselves from the constraints of today's events and tomorrow's crisis and instead focus on long term goals. If we could construct the optimal relationship between the United States and The Bahamas, what would it look like? Having conceptualized our goals in this way, we are in a better position to move confidently from where we are today to where we would like to be tomorrow.
Where We are Today
To some extent, the development of a vision for the U.S.-Bahamas relationship is not as difficult as it may seem. This is because the United States and the Bahamas have already built an extraordinary partnership that works to the mutual benefit of both our countries.
For example, we already have one of the closest and most successful law enforcement partnerships in the world. Our commercial ties run to the billions of dollars as businesses trade with each other and invest in each other's country. Millions of American tourists visit the Bahamas each year, and tens of thousands of Bahamians visit the United States.
Our relationship is much more than a government-to-government relationship. We share a common commitment to democracy, free markets, the rule of law, and respect for human rights and religious freedom. We have a country-to-country, people-to-people relationship. The bedrock of the relationship between the United States and The Bahamas is -- and will remain -- the close ties between our two peoples. As Prime Minister Christie has so succinctly noted: "We are kin".
To fully appreciate where we are today, it is also essential to take into account that our relationship involves more than just the United States and The Bahamas. It is rooted in a broader context of our relations with other partners in the Caribbean region and the hemisphere as a whole. Our bilateral relationship must therefore take into account this regional context as we look to a workable vision for the future.
A Forward-Looking Agenda
A forward-looking agenda is one that seeks to take advantage of opportunities presented by our relationship. I believe that The Bahamas and its sister CARICOM countries are better positioned to take advantage of new global forces than many in the region realize. For example, there is tremendous entrepreneurship, but it must be unleashed with a forward-looking approach to regulating business and commerce. There are investment opportunities waiting, but they must be seized. There are outstanding students, but they must be provided the tools to excel.
It will do none of us any good to lament losing the old ways of doing things, or to plea that we are powerless before today's challenges, or that forces outside of our control dictate our destiny. Such thinking is a recipe for stagnation in a world that is growing smaller, where businesses are more globally interconnected, and security is ever-more reliant on the support and actions of our allies.
Throughout the CARICOM region, government and business leaders are embracing economic and social changes that will strengthen democratic institutions. Recognition is growing that bureaucracies inherited decades ago and little changed from colonial models need to become more receptive to change and responsive to the needs of the people.
As Spencer Johnson so creatively showed us in his book Who Moved My Cheese, change is upon all of us whether we are prepared for it or not. And the pace of that change is picking up every day. How we respond to it, is up to us. If we look forward, if we are positive, then we have a real chance to accomplish our goals and realize our vision for the future.
My Vision for the United States and The Bahamas
Strengthening Democracy, Rule of Law, and Human Rights
All successful relationships are built on a firm foundation. As I stated before, the foundation on which we have built our partnership with The Bahamas is our common respect for -- and commitment to -- democracy, the rule of law and human rights. As we look to the future, we should aspire to work more closely, together, to strengthen democracy and promote respect for human dignity throughout the world.
Weak democratic institutions are the root cause of most -- if not all -- of the recurring political crises that have plagued the most troubled countries in the Caribbean region. Haiti offers the clearest example.
The elections, scheduled for February 7, present an opportunity for the Haitian people to break free from the cycle of instability and violence that has thwarted every effort to improve their lives. While the road to electing and inaugurating a new government has been a difficult one, we are working hard with the United Nations and the Organization of American States to help the Haitians achieve this goal. We are pleased to hear that CARICOM has conveyed its willingness to the Interim Government of Haiti to send a mission to support the elections, and hope that arrangements to this end will be quickly concluded.
After the new government is elected, it is important that The Bahamas, individually or as a part of CARICOM, help build democratic institutions and establish the rule of law. Assistance is needed in carrying forward reform and training of the Haitian National Police, strengthening the judiciary, implementing anti-corruption programs, promoting economic growth and protecting human rights.
Another country that poses a challenge to the values we both hold dear is Cuba. Human Rights Watch, in its just released annual report, concluded that "Cubans are systematically denied basic rights to free expression, association, assembly, privacy, movement, and due process of law." The American people and the Bahamian people insist on these freedoms at home. We would have it no other way. We should be concerned when our neighbors -- separated by less than 90 miles of sea -- are denied those basic rights. I would hope that a country such as the Bahamas, which so deeply cherishes free expression, free movement, and due process, would not hesitate to convey to the government of Cuba its belief in these fundamental values.
Our shared commitment to democracy and human rights should not be confined to the Caribbean region. The Bahamas and the United States are both active members of the United Nations, who’s Human Rights Commission has a mandate to promote respect for human rights worldwide. This year, the United Nations Third Committee condemned the governments of Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Burma, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and thereby demonstrated the world's solidarity in shining a light on human rights abuses.
Even as a majority of countries united to spotlight human rights abuses, The Bahamas and some of our other Caribbean neighbors stood in the shadows. They took the position that it was inappropriate to vote on any country-specific resolution and voted to close off discussion of abuses in Iran and the Sudan.
In the case of Sudan, a country whose forces are responsible for killings, disappearances, arbitrary arrests, tortures, and rapes, five votes were all that were needed to consider their human rights record. Yet among Caribbean countries, only St. Vincent and the Grenadines supported this resolution.
It is my hope that the Bahamas will reexamine this position and stand with those oppressed around the world. For as Rosemary Banks, New Zealand's Permanent Representative to the UN recently observed, "If we could not sponsor resolutions condemning human rights abuses in the General Assembly, there would be no other penalties against governments who terrorize their populations."
Just as Caribbean peoples maintain a deep commitment to democracy, human rights and the rule of law, their international representatives should be among the first to champion those principles abroad.
Ever Closer Law Enforcement and Security Cooperation
Law enforcement and security cooperation are cornerstones of the U.S. relationship with the Bahamas. Our geographic proximity and the heavy volume of tourist and commercial traffic passing back and forth between our shores makes continued efforts in these areas vitally important. The relationship between the United States and The Bahamas is already a model for the rest of the region. We have set the standard for what is possible when two nations work together to defeat criminal organizations, money launderers and terrorists.
Remember back to the 1980s, when as much as 70 percent of the cocaine bound for the U.S. passed through the Bahamas-Jamaica-Cuba vector. Compare that to today with less than 10 percent using this route and it is clear that our cooperation has achieved dramatic results benefiting both our countries. Our cooperation through OPBAT is continuing, as we are constantly seeking to improve our capabilities, training, and intelligence and adapt to meet the ever-changing challenges posed by innovative criminal minds.
The Bahamas and the United States also share an interest in protecting our borders from illegal migration. We work together to patrol the high seas and annually intercept thousands of illegal migrants.
We are also planning to station U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel in Freeport to work with Bahamian authorities to identify and inspect shipping containers, examining and "pre-clearing" them before they embark for a U.S. port. As a result, containers will be expedited on arrival in the U.S., making the port in Freeport more attractive for their customers.
We hope to conclude a declaration of principles under the Proliferation Security Initiative that would allow for the inspection of Bahamian-flagged ships if they are suspected of possible terrorist activity.
The Bahamas has also been an active participant in our ongoing Anti-Terrorism Assistance program, under which U.S. trainers’ work with security enforcement personnel on procedures for dealing with terrorism, including kidnapping, airport security and underwater explosives.
In the future, we will continue to support and expand these programs and look for new opportunities to build on the strong partnership that exists between our countries. Doing so will insure that the Bahamas will not become a haven for criminal organizations, human traffickers or terrorists cells.
Enhancing Economic Competitiveness
Changes in the global economy continue to affect the way all of us do business. Exciting new opportunities are accompanied by challenging disruptions as the world economy continually reinvents itself. For example, some Caribbean countries have lost preferential market access for their agricultural products, particularly bananas and sugar. But simultaneously, global transport and communications have caused the global tourism market to boom, opening up new economic possibilities.
The United States recognizes that countries throughout the Caribbean face distinctive challenges arising from their size, economic dependence on a few sectors, and vulnerabilities to natural disasters. We want to work together to meet these challenges and ensure that the people and businesses of the Bahamas can compete – and prosper -- in the 21st Century.
In the past, some countries in the Caribbean have been reluctant to take steps to adjust to inevitable economic dislocations and modernize their approach to doing business. At the recent Miami Conference, one Caribbean participant put it this way: "If our pitch to investors is: 'We are small, poorly trained, hard to do business with, and corrupt,' the region's future will be bleak." That is why it will be essential in the years ahead for CARICOM countries to maintain a forward-looking approach that prepares economies in the region for growth in new sectors. To insure foreign investment, procedures for investment should be -- must be -- transparent and fair. Investors are entitled to know whether their proposals are on track or not -- and if not -- why not.
One of those critical growth sectors is tourism, where The Bahamas has led the way. The World Tourism Organization estimates that the number of tourists visiting foreign countries will reach 1.5 billion by 2020, nearly triple the level of 2000. This explosive growth will offer opportunities as well as challenges.
We look forward to working with The Bahamas and other countries in the region to promote economic reform and good governance, modernize legal structures, provide training and exchanges, and to encourage broad policy reforms to enhance competitiveness in what Tom Friedman of the New York Times has called a "flat" world of global competition.
Improving Education and Health
More than ever economic competitiveness relies on a country's most precious resource: its people. A country that develops not just its financial capital but also its human capital will be well positioned to benefit from today's economic opportunities.
Education is paramount. One of the defining characteristics that have distinguished high-income and rapid-growth countries is educational achievement. Schools must be excellent from the primary level all the way through the university and professional school level.
The Embassy has sought to do its part to promote educational achievement through the reading program I launched at the Woodcock Primary School -- and have continued during my visits to the Family Islands. There is little we do at the Embassy more rewarding than building enthusiasm for reading among these eager students. We are also exploring possible programs with the State of Florida, programs designed to build the educational capacity within the Bahamas.
HIV/AIDS continues to present a major challenge throughout the Caribbean region and the world. We have been pleased to work with the Government of the Bahamas and NGO groups to help combat this endemic. These efforts have helped stem the number of new infections, and anti-retroviral treatment is now available to all who need it. Unfortunately, as was reported this week, some people still wait too long to seek treatment. We need to work together to educate the public, encourage testing and prevent new infections.
The United States will continue to support Bahamian efforts and those of other governments in the region. President Bush's 5-year, $15 billion Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief already includes Haiti and Guyana among its focus countries. All embassies in the region have made this fight a priority and utilize the special Ambassador's fund to support host country initiatives. This is a fight we cannot afford to loose -- with forty million people infected worldwide -- the future as we know it is at stake.
Preparing for and Mitigating Disasters
The last eighteen months have painfully demonstrated the urgency of disaster preparedness and relief. Hurricanes Frances, Ivan and Jeanne in 2004, the Asian tsunami, and one of the busiest hurricane seasons on record in 2005 -- have sharply impacted the people and economies of the Bahamas and the United States.
Nothing speaks to the extraordinary partnership between the Bahamas and the United States more than the incredible outpouring of support from the people of the Bahamas after Hurricane Katrina. From business and church groups to schoolchildren baking cookies, Bahamians stepped forward to assist the United States. Likewise, when disaster strikes the Bahamas, we are ready to quickly provide immediate relief and long-term solutions. Just last month, in a very emotional ceremony, I was pleased to be able to convey 19 new homes built by USAID to residents of West End.
The people of the Bahamas know that they can always count on the United States to be there in your hour of need, just as we have seen that we can count on you.
From Vision to Reality
The United States and the Bahamas already enjoy a tremendously effective and wide-ranging partnership, and my goal today has been to share with you our vision for how we can do even more in the future to advance our shared goals. Together we can strengthen respect for democracy, human rights and the rule of law in the hemisphere and the world. We can expand our law enforcement and security partnership to combat criminal activity, drug trafficking, and terrorism, thereby ensuring that the Bahamas remains safe for both Bahamians and visitors. We can work together to enhance economic prosperity and competitiveness. We can join forces to improve education and public health. And, we can come to each other's aid when disaster strikes.
I look forward to working with the Government and people of the Bahamas to make this vision a reality. Together we can build a new partnership in the Caribbean, based on our common values and aimed at our common aspirations.
Thank you.
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