By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

FOREIGN Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell yesterday highlighted the country’s top three concerns as the environment, violent crime, and illegal immigration during his address to the 69th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Mr Mitchell said the three major issues “go to the very root” of Bahamian existence. “If we do not resolve the climate change issues, there will be no Bahamas,” he said. “Solving the crime problem in the Bahamas is central to our domestic peace and economic survivability. No Bahamian doubts that the control of illegal immigration is central to our survivability as a country, central to our national identity and central to our national security.

“We have only to see today how it drains our financial resources, and we do not have to look far to see how unchecked immigration in other countries has been a recipe for civil strife within their borders,” he added. “We do not intend for that to happen to us.”

Mr Mitchell also underscored the importance of sustainable fishing practices for sharks. He said that the country was “appalled” by shark finning, the practice of killing sharks for their fins.

“We must make the fishing of sharks a sustainable practice,” Mr Mitchell said, “as these fierce creatures are a vital part of the global ecosystem.”

The focus of this year’s general assembly is to define and implement a new global development agenda.

Mr Mitchell reminded delegates that their obligations were first and foremost to their own people, who elected them to serve their best interests.

He pointed to the government’s recent initiatives to address the top three issues through policy and intervention programmes.

“During this session, our Prime Minister gave a comprehensive statement on climate change and the need for developed countries to honour their financial commitments in that regard,” he said.

“Secondly, we deposited the instrument for the Arms Trade Treaty, which helped to bring the number of countries to 50 and so caused the Treaty to enter into force.”

“Thirdly, in the margins of the meeting, we signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the International Organization for Migration.”

He added: “There are no higher priorities for the Bahamas: the environment, fighting crime and containing illegal immigration. These matters for the Bahamas go to the very root of our existence.”