In a statement in the House of Representatives to mark Universal Children’s Day, which is to be commemorated on Saturday, Persad-Bissessar said the day signifies the world’s commitment to the United Nation Declaration of the Rights of the Child, and the need for global leaders to ensure that children in all countries are given these basic rights and freedoms.
"It is also a day where all citizens of our country and others can and ought to set aside to observe and celebrate the great blessing of children, the joy, hope and inspiration they bring to our lives, families, communities, societies, countries and world," she said.
"I must confess that children, their rights and their welfare and betterment are special topics to me as a mother, grandmother, activist and politician and therefore, their welfare is of paramount importance to my Government," she added.
"Mr. Speaker, our Constitution of Trinidad and Tobago as well as the UN Convention for the Rights of the Child which this country ratified over a decade ago mandates us as a Government and people to treat children as equal citizens who are guaranteed inherent human rights of freedom, safety, respect, love and care."
The Prime Minister noted that the reality in Trinidad and Tobago and all other countries of the world, is that children are often the victims of abuse, neglect and crime. And she had some harsh words for the previous Manning administration.
"For the past decade, it had always appalled me to see the refusal of the previous PNM regime to deal with these serious issues confronting our nation’s children and its outright refusal in some instances to protect the children of this country and ensure that their basic rights to protection, safety, education, emotional and healthy well being and proper care was preserved.
"It was on this basis that my People’s Partnership Government promised that if we were elected by the good people of this nation to form Government, we would right these terrible wrongs of the former Manning administration."
Persad-Bissessar used the opportunity to remind the legislature of her Government’s plans and policies to secure the welfare of the nation’s children. She reminded the House of the achievements with respect to children's affairs, including the children's Life Fund.
"On this note I wish to point out that my Government, Cabinet Ministers have all taken a salary cut to fund this project and I’m advised that State Board directors are interested in doing same," she said.
She also spoke of the "revolutionary free laptop for every secondary school child", which she called "the great equalizer of all children and the promoter of their educational welfare in a world of technology and information."
She said, "This policy alone, I am of the respectful view, allows children of our beloved country and their parents to know that getting an education of the highest possible global standard is not only their right, but a passport to a better future - for the children and for the country This policy is a shining example of just what can be achieved in the developing world by sheer political will.
"My Government has also undertaken, in various Ministries that deal with the children’s welfare, major education policies and general information campaigns to educate children about their rights," she said.
"We have put into place systems to ensure that NGOs and orphanages that seek out the welfare of children receive proper funding by the Government while the State rehabilitation projects of young offenders are implemented and strengthened.
"Mr. Speaker, if I am to sum up some of our key measures and policies to ensure that the children benefit from their legal and Constitutional rights of protection, safety and life, I would note that the People’s partnership Government intends, in the earliest time frame available to us, to:
- Ensure that the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child, to which T&T is a signatory, is fully implemented and national laws and regulations are fully consistent with the principles and provisions of the Convention
- Demand that coordination among the bodies (both State and NGO) promoting and protecting the rights of the child is adequate and a comprehensive approach to the implementation of the Convention be done, by ensuring that these Committees/bodies have proper institutional capacity, skills and financial resources to carry out their mandates
- ensure that enough attention is paid, at both national and local levels, to the need for an efficient monitoring mechanism that could provide a systematic and comprehensive compilation of data to all groups of children, especially those who are victims of child abuse, ill-treatment or economic exploitation, girl children, children of single-parent families, children born out of wedlock, abandoned children, institutionalized and disabled children, children living and/or working in the streets and children involved with the juvenile justice system
"By contrast, the physical, emotional and intellectual impairment that poverty inflicts on children can mean a lifetime of suffering and want – and a legacy of poverty for the next generation. It is this legacy that my Government intends to change.
"I wish to state that the best service to the child is the service closest to the child, and children who are victims of neglect, abuse, or abandonment must not also be victims of bureaucracy and societal indifference.
"Children deserve our devoted attention, not our divided attention.
"On that note, I wish to remind all that abuse of any kind changes a person’s life, oftentimes for the worst, but that need not be if we as citizens are vigilant to prevent abuse.
"I call on all who may be or was the victim of child abuse, or knows someone who is the victim of child abuse to fight back and change the life of your abusers by Breaking Your Silence on Abuse.
"It’s time for us as a nation to stop living in denial about this terrible reality and I urge all to always remember that the consequences of your denial will be with you for a lifetime and will be passed down to the next generations.
"Remember, the nation’s future truly lies in the hands of our children, and it is to prevent the breakdown of our society and our country that children in T&T must be treated better.
"The fact remains that while child abuse does not go away, 90 per cent of child abuse is preventable. Child abuse and neglect offend the basic values of our State.
"We have a responsibility to provide safe settings for at-risk children and facilitate permanent remedies and rehabilitation for children who have already suffered the tragedy and misfortune of neglect or abuse.
"And the fact remains that the only reason why child abuse is alive today, is because we as adults fail our children when we fail to listen to them. Listen to a child today, I urge you...Always remember that when the lives and the rights of children are at stake, there must be no silent witnesses.
"I urge all to further remember that creating a country that is truly fit for children does not imply simply the implementation of laws It means changing the country with children, ensuring their right to participate, and that their views are heard and considered. It means building a country fit for children, where every child can grow to adulthood in health, peace and dignity.
"What is needed now together with the Government’s new policies of inclusion and protection of children in our country are increased efforts from all stakeholders and citizens in this country to promote youth participation and commitment; more services aimed at youth; more parental involvement; more education and information, more partnerships with civil society.
"I trust that we will all do our part to preserve our country’s future, and I implore you to always remember that in serving the best interests of children, we serve the best interests of all humanity.
"The country we seek, where every child can grow to adulthood in health, peace and dignity – in short, a country fit for children – has remained a dream for more years than we can count.
"But we in the People’s Partnership Government are convinced that working together with committed partners and citizens of our country, and with an appropriate plan of action and a commitment to resources, we can make that dream a reality for each and every child in our beautiful Trinidad and Tobago.
"So I urge all to let us together build a new national alliance to realize that goal, secure in the knowledge that every time a child is born, he or she brings with him/her the hope that God is not yet disappointed in humankind."
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