REMARKS BY THE HON. FRED MITCHELL
CAROL SERVICE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
24TH December 2002
Photo by Peter Ramsay: Seated at front from left Missouri Sherman Peter, Permanent Secretary; Dr. Miles Munroe, Hon. Fred Mitchell.
Had she been alive, today would have been my mother’s 80th birthday. So you can imagine that Christmas Eve was always a special time for me. And this year, this special say is made even more special by the fact that I now have a new and extended family that of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Public Service.
 It has been a proud year for The Bahamas and we at this Ministry both at the Foreign Affairs side and the Public Service can count many successes.
 The Public Service can again be congratulated for the seamless manner in which they handled two general elections this year.  One was the national referendum, the first in the history of the country, so there was no previous experience to guide us.  The second was the general election itself.  Any time there is a plebiscite, these are times of increased instability, tension and there is a demand.  The Public Service of The Bahamas handled those two events with deftness, dispatch and professionalism.  The Bahamian people have much to be proud of in a small country. But we have much more to do and next year, the public service will  face perhaps the most radical reform effort ever. It will require thinking outside the box, if we are to equip our country to meet the challenges of both the internal and external environments. This must and will be done in consultation with the various public sector unions. I think that you will find the proposed changes exciting and dynamic and in the best interests of the country.  But in the mean time, it is my happy duty to thank all public servants on behalf of the Government for their work over the past year.
 In the area of foreign affairs, I think that it is fair to say that Bahamians were challenged over the past year to re think, define and embrace the notion of Bahamian sovereignty.   It is important and relevant to today’s Bahamians and today’s Bahamas.  The events of the last few weeks involving events from the north and from the south show that Bahamians are willing to stand up for their country, that indeed this is a country, a society. It is our place in the sun and that we are willing to defend it. Your Foreign Minister takes his cue from the Bahamian people and his instructions from the Government of The Bahamas, no other.  No other!
 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the official face of this country to the outside world. You who work here are often this country’s first line of defence.  Despite all the odds, the difficulties with the building, the shortages of personnel, you have performed over the year without complaint and with aplomb.  It is a tribute to the leadership of the professional staff in the Ministry.   It is a tribute to the intellectual talent that resides here both at home and abroad.  Next year too we will be facing changes in some of the way we do business but I think you will al find these changes refreshing, exciting and challenging.  I believe the Government is committed to giving us the resources that we need to do the job.
 And so on behalf of the Prime Minister, the Government and the people of The Bahamas, I want to wish you all a happy holiday season and a prosperous and successful New Year. -end-