Chairmanship of Permanent Council of OAS handed over to Bahamas

The Chairmanship of the Permanent Council of the Organisation of American States (OAS) has been assumed by the Bahamas as Chet Neymour takes up the position of the Permanent Representative of The Bahamas to the OAS.

He will occupy the position from April 1 to June 30, 2024, after having taken over from the representative of Argentina. The Chair of the Permanent Council rotates on a three-monthly basis among member states in alphabetical order.

Neymour gave his two cents at the handing over ceremony and said the following, “Today, as The Bahamas takes the mantle of leadership, we reaffirm our commitment to multilateralism, to the OAS, and hold firm in our belief that the Permanent Council of this Organisation is the Board of Directors.”

“As such, it is incumbent upon this council to act accordingly with deliberation and with a clear strategy and collective resolve.”

Frederick Mitchel, the Foreign Minister expressed his joy with the appointment of the representative from the Bahamas to the Chairman’s office.

Mitchel also said, “The Bahamas takes great pride in assuming the chairmanship of Permanent Council of the OAS for the next three months.”

“During the Bahamas’ chairmanship, we will prioritise the following. First the promotion of climate action through discussing and advancing actionable mandates on disaster risk reduction, integrated water management, public sector capacity building and climate smart skills training.

Secondly, reform of the international financial architecture through facilitating dialogue on challenges facing member states such as access to adequate and affordable development finance.”

Argentina and Guyana have been recommended for the positions of Chair and Vice-Chair respectively. They will be expected to fulfill their tenure in accordance with the terms of their appointment.

One of the primary objectives underlined by the Bahamas with regards to this appointment is pushing the international community to ensure that the situation in Haiti can be stabilized as it has been affecting the region significantly and has led to many of the nation’s citizens suffering needlessly.

The Permanent Representative of Grenada, Tarlie Francis, is expected to serve as the Vice Chair from April to June, which means that the Caribbean region will have dual representation in the upper echelons of the OAS.