The Tribune

A Bahamas Red Cross delegation attended the 32nd International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in Geneva, Switzerland, earlier this month.

The Bahamas delegation was headed by Rhoda Jackson, ambassador and permanent representative of the Bahamas to the United Nations Office and Other International Organisations in Geneva. The delegation of the Red Cross Society of the Bahamas was led by its president, Craig Tony Gomez.

The quadrennial conference brought together more than 162 government delegations and representatives of over 177 national Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies worldwide to undertake joint commitments with the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement for the advancement of global humanitarian action.

Among the issues on the agenda were sexual and gender-based violence; migration; the safety and security of humanitarian volunteers and strengthening legal frameworks for disaster response, disaster risk reduction and first aid.

One of the key outcomes was to highlight the critical role of government and civil society partnerships in mobilising humanitarian efforts as well as the complementary role that national societies can play in supporting the efforts of governments, both in the context of emergency response and in meeting their commitments at the international level.

The Bahamas Red Cross Society is an active participant of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and has provided humanitarian assistance in The Bahamas for some 76 years.