Speaking in Parliament, the Prime Minister took the opportunity to remind the population of her government's various policies regarding human rights in Trinidad and Tobago.
"This country as you know and the population ought to know, Mr. Speaker, has ratified the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Individual and the People’s Partnership is in the process of ensuring that all the rights we’ve ratified are implemented and upheld in this country.
"Indeed this is a complex process since implementing the provisions of said convention to protect the rights of individuals in a practical sense is indeed multi layered," she said.
"The two main mechanisms used would be legislation and national policy. In most instances such a convention will not be brought into force by one single piece of legislation but rather many new laws.
This is so because the convention itself generally speaks to the protection of rights in the broadest sense and as such when distilled, what is needed would be various Acts which seek to implement an array of issues covered by one Convention," she explained.
One of the rights conventions that the country has ratified in the Convention on the rights of the Child, (CRC) which commits nations to:
• The protection of children’s rights
• Youth development
• Access to education
• Access to early childhood, primary and secondary education
She said with respect to these the People’s partnership Government has taken major steps to safeguarding the right of access to health care by the creation of the Children’s Life Fund. She pointed to the expansion of the GATE program and free laptop computers to note her government's contribution to education.
She also spoke of the Convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women, (CEDAW), which was ratified in 1990. The convention commits member states to provide for:
• Maintenance of homes for battered and abused women
• The eradication of violence against women
• Eliminating all forms of discrimination against women
• Gender equality and the empowerment of women
• Access to employment for women
• Access to education for women
• Ensuring maternal health
In respect to that convention Persad-Bissessar outlined the major pieces of legislation to protect women from violence and discrimination:
1. Domestic Violence Act No. 27 of 1999
2. Sexual Offences Act 1986 and the Sexual Offences Amendment Act No. 31 of 2000
3. Legal Aid and Advice Act, Chap. 7:07 and its Amendment Act, No. 18 of 1999
4. Public Assistance Regulations 1997
5. Maternity Protection Act, No. 4 of 1998
6. Cohabitational Relationships Act, No. 30 of 1998
7. The Offences Against the Person Act
8. Equal Opportunities Act
She said in addition there is also a national gender policy which contains an array of measures to protect the rights of women; this policy is still being finalized and this will be done with priority in the coming year.
The Prime Minister also spoke about Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD), which the country ratified as far back as 1973, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR): Acceded December 8th 1978, which includes:
• Poverty alleviation
• Access to food
• Access to water and sanitation
• Access to employment
• Access to a decent standard of living
• Literacy development
• Improvement of the administration of education
• Access to healthcare
• Responding to chronic disease
• Protection of the rights of the elderly
Persad-Bissessar said her government's recent budget approved specific measures to improve the standard of living for the population of Trinidad and Tobago.
"Mr. Speaker, these are just some of the measures the People’s Partnership Government is implementing and strengthening to ensure that human rights in Trinidad and Tobago is a basic guarantee for our citizens. But I must stress that legislation alone cannot help.
"What is needed is a fundamental commitment and paradigm shift in all citizens to recognize that the implementation of such polices begins with them.
"Human rights education is much more than a lesson in schools or a theme for a day; it is a process to equip people with the tools they need to live lives of security and dignity. On this International Human Rights Day, let us continue to work together to develop and nurture in future generations a culture of human rights, to promote freedom, security and peace in all nations.
"Indeed, our country is blessed with many examples of national heroes who fought and continue to fight for human rights and on this day I implore all citizens to remember their hard work, and please, emulate them," Persad-Bissessar said.
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