At a Glance
Alliances & Memberships
- UN
- CARICOM
- Commonwealth
- OAS
- AOSIS
Foreign Policy Overview
Climate-vulnerable small island state; tourism and finance; close US ties.
Key Positions on Major Issues
Climate finance and loss/damage; anti-blacklisting on tax; reparations advocate.
UN Voting Record Notes
Aligns with CARICOM/AOSIS bloc.
Economy & Trade
The Bahamas is a high-income service economy heavily dependent on tourism and offshore banking, with tourism accounting for approximately 50% of GDP. The financial services sector is the second-largest contributor, driven by the country's status as a tax-neutral jurisdiction. The Bahamian Dollar (BSD) is pegged 1:1 with the USD, and major exports include crawfish, salt, and refined petroleum, primarily to the United States and the EU. Significant challenges include high vulnerability to climate-change-induced hurricanes and a heavy reliance on imported food and energy.
Military & Security
The Bahamas maintains no standing army; its primary defense force is the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF), which focuses on maritime patrol, search and rescue, and disaster relief. Defense spending is approximately 0.7% of GDP, prioritizing the 'Sandy Bottom Project' to modernize the fleet against illegal migration and drug trafficking. The nation is a signatory to the Treaty of Tlatelolco, maintaining a nuclear-weapon-free status, and relies on the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) for regional security cooperation with the U.S. and UK.
Recent History
The last 30 years in The Bahamas have been defined by a shift toward economic diversification and intense climate adaptation. The 2019 landfall of Category 5 Hurricane Dorian caused $3.4 billion in damages, fundamentally reshaping the national discourse on climate change as an existential threat. Politically, the country has maintained a stable parliamentary democracy, oscillating between the Free National Movement (FNM) and the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP). Recent foreign policy has focused on deepening ties with China for infrastructure projects (like the Baha Mar resort) while maintaining a bedrock security relationship with the United States. Following the 2021 election of Prime Minister Philip Davis, The Bahamas has taken a global lead in advocating for 'blue carbon' credits as a sustainable development tool.
International Memberships
- CARICOM (Caribbean Community)since 1983
Active participant in regional integration and security initiatives.
- Commonwealth of Nationssince 1973
Significant focus on maritime safety and environmental protection resolutions.
- Organization of American States (OAS)since 1982
Focus on human rights and regional democratic stability.
- Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS)since 1990
Advocacy for climate financing and 'loss and damage' funds for SIDS.
MUN Negotiation Profile
CARICOM / AOSIS / Western-aligned
Collaborative and multilateral; focuses on consensus-building among Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Expresses strong moral leadership on climate issues.
- Any infringement on national sovereignty regarding offshore financial regulations or tax autonomy.
- Rejection of international agreements that do not include specific 'loss and damage' provisions for climate-vulnerable states.
- Opposition to policies that would limit a state's right to manage its own maritime borders and EEZ.
- "Urgent implementation of the Bridgetown Initiative to reform the global financial architecture for climate resilience."
- "Strengthening international cooperation to combat the illicit flow of small arms and light weapons (SALW) from North America into the Caribbean."
- "Advocating for the 'Multi-dimensional Vulnerability Index' (MVI) to replace GNI per capita as the primary metric for concessional development financing."