#England, November 27, 2017 – Valletta Malta – The Minister of Transport & Local Government and a team of officials recently traveled to Valletta Malta, and to London, England, to participate in two sets of critical international meetings in pursuit of the government’s goals of enhancing Local Government nationally, and of maintaining The Bahamas’ reputation as a ship registry of the very highest caliber.
Accompanying Minister Campbell on his trip to Malta to attend the Commonwealth Local Government Conference (CLGC) meetings in Malta during the period 21st – 24th November, 2017, were the Director of Local Government, Cephas Cooper, LaShanta Greenslade, Officer in charge of the Local Government Junior Council, and Roderick Pinder, President of The Bahamas Association of Local Government Authority (BALGA).
The CLGC is held every two years, and provides a unique opportunity for Commonwealth Local Government leaders, representatives and practitioners across the Commonwealth to meet and discuss new policies, and to exchange ideas and experiences in an informal setting. The theme for this year’s conference was “Fit for the Future: resources and capacity for local government”.
The Bahamian team’s attendance at the conference was very timely, as the lessons learned will undoubtedly assist the Government in its efforts, in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank, to bring Local Government to New Providence, during the next Local Government elections. Minister Campbell impressed the meeting greatly during the Malta meetings, as evidenced by the fact that he was elected as an Executive on the Board of the Board of the Commonwealth Local Government Forum.
Following up on his attendance at the Commonwealth Local Government Conference, Minister Campbell traveled to London, England on 25th November, 2017, where he joined the Chairman of the Bahamas Maritime Authority Board of Directors, Denise Lewis-Johnson, Peter John Goulandris, Deputy Chairman of the Board, and Commodore (Retired) Davy Rolle, Managing Director of the Bahamas Maritime Authority, to participate in pre-election activities leading up to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) elections for the 2018 – 2019 term.
The elections will be held in London from 27th November – 6th December 2017. The Bahamas is seeking to continue its influence in this important international sphere, as it seeks re-election to Category “C” of the IMO Council. The Bahamas has served on the IMO Council from 1991 – 1995, and from 1999 to the present, and is the only CARICOM country on it. The Bahamas is seeking to renew its membership on the Council in accordance with the provisions of Article 17© of the IMO Convention, in accordance with the principle of “equitable geographical representation”.
The Bahamas is well poised for re-election, having acceded to all of the major IMO Conventions, as well as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and relevant International Labour Organization Conventions. The Bahamas has always played a very active and progressive role in all debates at the IMO, and has worked very closely with delegations from all parts of the world. Minister Campbell will be present at a number of events during the week, will engage with officials from the IMO and Diplomatic Corp., and will bring remarks on behalf of The Bahamas at the country’s IMO Luncheon, on 28th November.
Photo shows the team which traveled to Malta and London, just prior to the departure of the Local Government team on November 17th. Left to right, the Hon. Frankie Campbell, M.P., Minister of Transport & Local Government, Denise Lewis Johnson, Chairman, Bahamas Maritime Authority Board of Directors, LaShanta Greenslade, Coordinator, Local Government Junior Council Program, and Cephas Cooper, Director of Local Government, Department of Local Government.
(BIS Photo/Patrick Hanna)
Press Release: Bahamas Ministry of Transport & Local Government
