Ministry Statements & Speeches:
Mr President,
New Zealand warmly welcomes the delegation from the Bahamas.
We wish to commend the Bahamas’ continued efforts to combat trafficking in persons through the launch of the Strategic TIP Action Plan.
We recommend that the Bahamas:
- Continues strengthening measures to address gender inequality, including through the drafting and implementation of the Strategic Plan to address gender based violence and the amendments to the Sexual Offences Act to criminalize marital rape.
- Maintains its de facto moratorium on the death penalty and takes steps towards its abolition, including ratification of the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
- Takes steps to amend the definition of “discrimination” in Article 26 of the Constitution to include gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression as grounds within it.
- Establishes an independent and fully resourced National Human Rights Institution.
New Zealand wishes the Bahamas every success in its review.
Thank you Mr. President