From 1981 to 1998, a National Secretary has been designated from the Ministry's personnel to be responsible for UNESCO matters. Although, over the years, a National Secretary has been designated from among the Ministry's Personne. The Government of the Bahamas by Cabinet Conclusion ICN (98) 24 of 6 January, 1998, approved a recommendation by the Minister of Education to establish the Bahamas National Commission for UNESCO.
The National Commission has no legal status, since it is regarded as part of the Ministry of Education and Youth.
Documentation Centre
The Learning Resources Section of the Ministry of Education and Youth houses a Documentation Centre where an area is dedicated to UNESCO publications. The Documentation Centre, which is computerized, welcomes above all teachers and students. It is administered by two library clerks. It was set up in July 1998 with the assistance of Ms. Nadine Manraj, a documentalist from the Jamaican National Commission. Three staff members were trained in Library Database/Micro CDS/ISIS.
Structure of the Commission
The National Commission is composed of the following organs:
- The General Assembly, which meets four times a year;
- Four Sub-Committees, which meet regularly and are responsible for: (1) Education, (2) Science and Technology, (3) Communication, information and informatics, (4) Youth, Culture and Arts;
- The Secretariat.
Members/Composition
The National Commission comprises representatives of the Ministries interested in UNESCO's fields of competence. This includes the Ministry of Finance and Planning and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, national institutions, the College of the Bahamas and the Broadcasting Corporation of the Bahamas. The involvement of the Bahamas' Archives and of the bureau for Antiquities is worth mentioning.
More broadly, the Bahamas National Commission comprises members representing the following constituencies:
-Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture
-The Broadcasting Corporation of the Bahamas
-The Ministry of Finance and Planning
-The Bahamas Commission on Environment, Science and Technology
-The Department of Education
-The College of the Bahamas
-The Chamber of Commerce
-The Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Interaction with UNESCO and National Commissions
Overview
The Commission cooperates with other National Commissions from Latin America and the Caribbean Region (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago) in the organization of workshops and seminars and the implementation of programme activities.
The Bahamas National Commission also has working relations with UNESCO/Kingston on "Changing the Culture of the Classroom" and the Associated Schools Project Network.
