The Commonwealth of The Bahamas hosted the Organization of American States Meeting of the Group of Experts on Maritime Narcotrafficking at the British Colonial Hotel in Nassau, Bahamas on September 11, 2019.
The two-day symposium was aimed at combating strategies against the scourge of narcotrafficking throughout the Americas. It was the first time in the history of the OAS that the meeting was held in The Bahamas. Commander (Bahamas) Defence Force, Commodore Tellis Bethel chaired the meeting.
Keynote speaker for the occasion was Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security, Mr. Eugene Poitier, who brought remarks on behalf of the Honorable Marvin Dames, the Minister of National Security.
“Our geographical configuration of some 700 islands spread over more than 100,00 square miles of water makes The Bahamas especially vulnerable to illicit trafficking, especially maritime”, said Mr. Poitier. “We are all aware of the potential adverse impact that narcotrafficking can have on countries, cities, communities, families and individuals”. Other speakers included Ms. Phyllis Baron, Representative for the Organization of American States and Ms. Angela Crowdy, Assistant Executive Secretary, Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission. Facilitator for the event is Mr. Shervin Lloyd
Photos by Chief Petty Officer Jonathan Rolle
