May
11, 2000
NEW
BAHAMIAN ENVOY AT OAS
The
new ambassador of The Bahamas to the Organization of American States, Joshua
Sears, presented credentials to the OAS Secretary General in Washington today,
lauding the Organization's leadership on pressing issues like the war on illegal
drugs, human rights, trade liberalization, and building democracy and peace.
Ambassador
Sears reserved special mention for Secretary General C�sar Gaviria's effort to
make the organization "relevant and effective in addressing the concerns of
the hemisphere." He also
pledged his full support towards making a success of the upcoming thirtieth
annual General Assembly of the OAS, to be held in Windsor, Canada.
Accepting
Sears' letters of accreditation, the Secretary General praised the firm support
of the Bahamas for the work of the OAS and stressed the OAS' role in building
multilateral relations with the Caribbean, Latin America, the United States and
Canada.
The
new envoy's professional credentials include several high-level appointments in
the Bahamian public service. He
served as deputy head of mission at the Bahamas Embassies to France, Belgium,
Germany and the European Union and has represented his country at numerous
United Nations conferences and other international forums.
He
was appointed Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1995 and
in January 1998 became Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health.
Ambassador
Sears is married and has four children.
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