Op-Ed

Successes and Challenges:  An Anniversary Reflection

Op-Ed by Ambassador John D. Rood

August 14, 2006

 

When I arrived in The Bahamas as Ambassador nearly two years ago, I came to listen, learn and act.  I am grateful to the people of The Bahamas for their warm welcome.  No matter where I have traveled, I am made to feel at home.  So as I mark my second anniversary in this beautiful country, I believe I have been able to listen to the voices of Bahamians and learn from their insights.  As a result, the partnership between the United States and The Bahamas has been strengthened to the benefit of both our countries.

Our partnership is perhaps best exemplified by our outstanding cooperation in OPBAT, in which we work together to stem the flow of drugs through The Bahamas.  It is also reflected in the steady torrent of American visitors to the Bahamas and Bahamians to the U.S., both facilitated by our pre-clearance operations.  In fact, because of pre-clearance, Bahamians can travel to the United States without a visa -- the only non-contiguous country to enjoy this privilege.  Our partnership has been expanded with close cooperation on migration.  Bahamian RBDF shipriders now work side-by-side with U.S. Coast Guard officers to patrol Bahamian waters for illegal migrants and drug smugglers alike.  Likewise, when Americans or Bahamians are in distress on the high seas, our Coast Guard works closely with Bahamian authorities to search and rescue, resulting in many lives saved each year.  

I am immensely proud of the cooperation that has taken root between the State of Florida and The Bahamas this past year.  Following Governor Bush’s February visit, we inaugurated the "Classroom Connections" program, which links Florida and Bahamas schools and promotes technology training in The Bahamas.  We also hosted a visit from the Florida Secretary of Health that generated cooperation on cross-border public health issues such as epidemic outbreaks.  Similarly, the recent visit of Florida's Secretary of Environmental Protection has opened up cooperation in environmental regulation of emerging industries, the responsible development of marinas, and the protection of fish and wildlife.

The cooperation with Florida has been supplemented this past year by the new partnerships being developed between The Bahamas and the State of Rhode Island though the National Guard State Partnership Program.  Last week, prison experts from Rhode Island have been at Fox Hill Prison, sharing information with local officials.  In September Bahamian fire fighters will receive training on fire safety.  This follows successful collaboration on disaster planning and training provided in criminal investigations.  The University of Rhode Island is also exploring possible links with the College of the Bahamas, including in-state tuition for Bahamian students and cooperative programs in environmental science, nursing and others.

The list of our joint initiatives and activities could go on – encompassing trade, tourism, crime fighting, aviation, and environmental protection – but suffice it to say there can be little doubt that our bilateral relations are second to none.  For that I am both extremely proud of my first two years here and grateful to the Bahamian Government for its cooperation and open communication. 

But as in any close relationship, I also see areas where I believe we can and should be doing more and cooperating more closely in the coming years.  For example, in the United Nations, the strong bilateral friendship we enjoy is not always reflected in common approaches to major international challenges. 

Each year, the State Department is required to present a report to Congress analyzing the voting records of countries in the United Nations.  For 2005, we reported to Congress that the Bahamas and the United States agreed in the United Nations only 11.9% of the time on issues requiring individual votes.  This has dropped from 39% agreement in 2000.  On human rights issues, involving countries such as Sudan, Iran, and Cuba, we agreed only 16.7% percent of the time, down from 44% agreement in 2000.  Overall in assessing the commonality of our voting patterns on these individual votes, The Bahamas this year ranked 29^th of the 33 nations in the Western Hemisphere, down from 16^th in 2000.  The only countries in the Western Hemisphere with less compatibility were Cuba, Venezuela, Dominica and Saint Lucia. 

While we recognize that Bahamian and U.S. interests are not always the same, and that on many issues friends can disagree, I nevertheless believe the downward trend in the commonality of our perceptions on important international issues points to a trend that deserves more of my attention in the coming years.  It simply should not be that such good friends, who share so many of the same values, cannot find common ground in addressing human rights violations, seeking peace in the Middle East, and promoting global prosperity.  Examples I have talked about before – our failures to agree to condemn the terrible human rights abuses in Iran and the Sudan, and our failure to agree to keep this hemisphere's only non-democratic country -- Cuba -- from the Human Rights Council – highlight the need to work more closely together on international issues.

As I begin my third year as United States Ambassador to the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, I am honored to represent the President and the American people to one of our closest friends anywhere in the world.  I look forward to continuing our cooperation in combating drug trafficking, crime, illegal migration, promoting travel, trade and investment, and building partnerships with the great States of Florida and Rhode Island.  I also look forward to expanding our cooperation in areas that reflect our shared and enduring values of respect for democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.  Most importantly, I look forward to meeting even more Bahamian people as I travel from island to island, reading with school children, listening, laughing and enjoying time with my old and new friends in The Bahamas.