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 | Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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Contacts
Patricia Rodgers, Permanent Secretary
Carlton Wright, Under Secretary
Janeen McCartney, Under Secretary
Human Resources Division
Marilyn Zonicle, Under Secretary
Clifford Scavella, Consular Representive
Donna Knowles-Lowe, Deputy Permanent Secretary
Joshua Sears, Director General
Melvin Seymour, Chief of Protocol |
 | Goodmans Bay Corporate Center, West Bay St.
P. O. Box N 3746
Nassau, N.P., The Bahamas
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Areas of Responsibility
Foreign Missions
Protocol Matters
Extradition
Treaty Succession
Coordination of Applications for International Technical Assistance
Law of the Sea
U.N., OAS and CARICOM Affairs
Passports
Visas
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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the channel through which initial representation should be made to The Bahamas Government, both by other countries and regional and international organizations, including the United Nations, the Commonwealth and Caribbean Community (CARICOM). As such, it has overall responsibility for advancing the country’s interests abroad through the co-ordination, conduct and management of The Bahamas’ foreign relations.
In carrying out its responsibilities, the Ministry monitors, analyses and advises Government on international political, economic, legal and other developments;
- implements Government’s foreign affairs priorities;
represents The Bahamas abroad; has oversight of international treaties and agreements, and refugee matters; develops friendly relations with other states and their representatives; promotes and protects the interests of Bahamian nationals and businesses in foreign countries;
receives and disseminates information and facilitates contacts between foreign governments and international organizations and other Ministries/Departments of Government;
and coordinates some aspects of The Bahamas’ international technical cooperation activities.
Additionally, the Ministry helps to protect the borders of The Bahamas thorough the issuance of visas to nationals of certain countries; authenticates documents.
The Ministry is also responsible for Government’s Protocol functions, including the accreditation to The Bahamas of all foreign envoys and of Bahamian envoys to other countries; and relations with Embassies, High Commissions, Consulates General and Honorary Consulates of foreign governments located in The Bahamas.
Several of The Bahamas’ Ambassadors and High Commissioners are also accredited as non-resident Ambassadors to countries other than those in which they are stationed.
Additionally, the Embassy at Washington, D.C. is accredited to the Organization of American States (OAS), and the High Commission, London, is accredited to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the European Union (EU).
HEADS OF OFFICES ABROAD ARE:
High Commissioner, London; His Excellency Paul Farquaharson
High Commissioner, Canada; His Excellency Mike Smith
Ambassador to the United States; His Excellency C. A. Smith
Ambassador to the United Nations; Her Excellency Dr.Paulette Bethel
Ambassador to the Republic of Haiti; His Excellency Commodore Davy Rolle
Cuba H.E. Vernon Burrows
Acting Consul General, People Republic of China;Her Excellency Elma Campbell
Deputy Chief of Mission; Sheila Carey
Consul General, New York; Mr. Carl F. Smith
Consul General, Miami; Gladys Sands
The Ministry also has a network of Honorary Consuls for The Bahamas in Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean. Honorary Consuls represent The Bahamas in Barbados, Belgium, Chile, Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Israel, Italy (Milan and Rome) Monaco, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey.
THE PASSPORT OFFICE
The Passport Office provides essential services to the Bahamian public through the issuance of identity documents for travel. These documents include Passports, Certificates of identity and Emergency Passports. The Passport Office is also responsible for the coordination and over sight of the passport function in the Ministry’s Offices in Ottawa, London, New York, Washington, D.C., and Miami and in the Offices of the Family Island Administrators.
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