ANTALYA, Türkiye, Nov 13, CMC – The Bahamas government has welcomed the appointment of Justice Cheryl Bazard, KC, as Secretary General of the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law. (COSIS).
The election of the Bahamian jurist took place on the margins of the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) here, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nassau indicating that Justice Bazard, was nominated by The Bahamas government.
“The members of COSIS have elected a Bahamian jurist as their Secretary General. The Government congratulates Justice Bazard and will support her work,” said Foreign Affairs and Immigration Minister, Frederick A. Mitchell.
Justice Bazard sits on the Supreme Court of The Bahamas and was called to the Inner Bar as King’s Counsel in 2023. She previously served as Ambassador of The Bahamas to the Kingdom of Belgium and Head of Mission to the European Union.
COSIS was established by an agreement between Antigua and Barbuda and Tuvalu on October 321, 2021 and last December the Commission submitted a request to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea for an advisory opinion on the obligations of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in relation to climate change.
The Tribunal delivered its advisory opinion on 21 May 2024. The Bahamas is a member of the Commission.
“The Government thanks the Co-Chairs of the Commission, the Prime Ministers of Antigua and Barbuda and of Tuvalu, for their support of the nomination, and H.E. Eselealofa Apinelu, the outgoing Secretary General, for the service given to the Commission,” the statement said.
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