Bahamas

Bahamas, The

The Bahamas is an archipelago of nearly 700 coral islands. Around 30 of the islands are inhabited. The Bahamas sits in the West Atlantic Ocean, 100 kilometres south-east of Florida in the United States and 80 kilometres north-east of Cuba. The islands are generally flat and low-lying.

Secretariat support for The Bahamas 

Elections 

The Commonwealth sent observers to the elections in The Bahamas in 2017. 

Elections work

Human rights 

The Secretariat helped The Bahamas to be elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council. It was the second Commonwealth small island developing state to be elected to the council. 

Human Rights work

Sport 

Since August 2016, the Secretariat has helped build the skills of sport leaders and sport officials in The Bahamas. 

Sport for development and peace work

Debt management 

The Secretariat helped The Bahamas draft a law to help it manage its public debt. It also gave The Bahamas advice on its bond market (where traders buy and sell debt).  

Debt management work

Natural resources 

Secretariat experts on managing oceans and natural resources helped The Bahamas develop a Petroleum Bill and Regulations. The government passed its Petroleum Act in 2016. 

In 2018, the Commonwealth helped The Bahamas prepare a law to regulate its mining sector. 

Natural resources work

Blue Charter

The Bahamas is a member of the following Action Groups: Coral Reef Protection and Restoration, Mangrove Ecosystems and Livelihoods, Marine Protected Areas, Ocean Acidification, Ocean and Climate Change, Ocean Observation, Sustainable Aquaculture, and Sustainable Blue Economy.

Blue Charter

The Bahamas in the Commonwealth 

Bahamian Robert Antoni was winner of the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize Best First Book award with his novel, Divina Trace, in 1992. 

Nevar Smith, from The Bahamas, was a 2015 Commonwealth Youth Awards finalist. He established the Bahamas Youth Movement – an organisation that encourages young people to find creative ways to contribute to their country. 

The Bahamas hosted the Commonwealth Law Ministers Meeting in 2017. The same year, it hosted the Commonwealth Youth Games. 

Find out more 

Learn more about the Secretariat's work

Total population

External links

The Bahamas government The Bahamas tourism board
The Bahamas medals at the 2022 Commonwealth Games United Nations Sustainable Development Goals The Bahamas country profile
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2024

Test Milestones

The conference is organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Bahamas Public Disclosure Commission as well as the Association of Integrity Commissions and Anti-Corruption Bodies in the Commonwealth Caribbean.

Convening under the theme, ‘Best Practices in implementing Integrity and Anti-Corruption Laws in the Caribbean in the age of Artificial Intelligence’, heads of integrity commissions and anti-corruption agencies, senior government officials, relevant international organisations and policymakers will review national and regional anti-corruption efforts, share knowledge and good practices, and discuss the impacts of corruption on sustainable development.

Over the course of the three days, there will be a combination of presentations by experts in various anti-corruption fields, panel discussions on sub-themes, and country reports by the jurisdictions that comprise the association.

Since 2015, the heads of integrity commissions and anti-corruption bodies in the Commonwealth Caribbean have met annually to promote collaboration and strengthen regional anti-corruption efforts.

Key Facts

Population
393,250 (2022)
Area
14,000 square kilometres
Capital city
Nassau
Joined the Commonwealth
1973, following independence from Britain