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The Sustainable Development Goals in Trinidad and Tobago
The Sustainable Development Goals are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the earthโs environment and climate, and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity. These are the goals the UN is working on in MCO Trinidad and Tobago:
Story
04 October 2022
SDG Amazing Race Kicks Off With Competition in Chaguanas!
"YES BOY! That is it, that is it!" shouts Stephon Felmine, known locally as 'The Trini Alphabet Man' on TikTok, as Corey Warner plays the final notes of a song on the steelpan.
Before ten minutes ago, Corey couldn't play anything on pan.
Now, he's just delivered six lines of a traditional Venezuelan folk song, after an intense coaching session from one of the young instructors at Proman Starlift Steel Orchestra.
Corey has played the chrous of a Venezuelan song on Trinidad and Tobago's national instrument.
The significance of the cultural unity on display is not lost on another social media personality, Carlos Hernandez aka The Spanish, a Venezuelan migrant to Trinidad and Tobago who is also judging the competition. "We cry to this song. It's about what happened when we became free in Venezuela," he says. "He played the piece with class!" Corey and Carlos are two of the Trinidadians and Venezuelans who came out for the first round of the SDG Amazing Race at Saith Park, Chaguanas. The event, a collaboration between the United Nations Resident Coordinator's Office, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), was hosted on September 25 as the first of a series of events that will allow people to interact with the Sustainable Development Goals and what they mean for Trinidad and Tobago's progress and prosperity. "As the Secretary General of the UN just said at this year's General Assembly, 'lofty goals need to be made real to people,' and that's why we're hosting this event," said UN Resident Coordinator a.i. for Trinidad and Tobago, Dennis Zulu. This inaugural edition of the SDG Amazing Race focuses on SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. UNHCR and IOM champion this goal by promoting inclusion and acceptance of migrants and refugees. To win the competition, teams had to navigate a trivia maze and a complete an amateur steelpan showdown. The trivia maze featured questions on the United Nations, the SDGs, migrants and refugees. These questions presented an excellent opportunity to raise awareness about the meaningful contributions that migrants and refugees have made in their host communities, both in Trinidad and Tobago and globally. In the steelpan competition that followed, we tasked these amateur pannists with learning the Venezuelan folk song, Alma Llanera. Young members of the Proman Starlift Steel Orchestra coached participants, and the contestants then performed in front of a panel of celebrity judges and diplomats from the United Nations and the European Union. "When we leave from here today, I want you all to remember that the purpose is to show that migrants, refugees, and people from anywhere, regardless of the circumstances, don't just come with their suitcases. They come with their passions and skills," said Jewel Ali, Head of Office at the International Organization of Migration, Port of Spain. Her UN colleague, UNHCR Head of National Office, Miriam Aertker, added, "Can you imagine the untapped potential we can release by supporting the inclusion and integration of refugees and migrants here in Trinidad and Tobago?" The SDG 16 challenge fit perfectly with the Inclusive Cities project in Chaguanas, an initiative financed by the European Union. Funding for this event came from the UN RCO and the Inclusive Cities Project. "Everybody should be an Ambassador for good. Sometimes little acts by all of us can have a tremendous impact," said His Excellency Peter Cavendish, Ambassador of the European Union, as he encouraged all participants to become ambassadors for the SDGS. The winning team of Shereen Maharaj and Anu-Nandika Bachew walked away with specially designed SDG 16 trophies, while all participants received UN tokens. Special thanks to the European Union in Trinidad and Tobago, The Inclusive Cities Project, The Chaguanas Borough Corporation, and Proman Starlift Steel Orchestra. The event would not have been possible without them Story by Keval Marimuthu
The significance of the cultural unity on display is not lost on another social media personality, Carlos Hernandez aka The Spanish, a Venezuelan migrant to Trinidad and Tobago who is also judging the competition. "We cry to this song. It's about what happened when we became free in Venezuela," he says. "He played the piece with class!" Corey and Carlos are two of the Trinidadians and Venezuelans who came out for the first round of the SDG Amazing Race at Saith Park, Chaguanas. The event, a collaboration between the United Nations Resident Coordinator's Office, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), was hosted on September 25 as the first of a series of events that will allow people to interact with the Sustainable Development Goals and what they mean for Trinidad and Tobago's progress and prosperity. "As the Secretary General of the UN just said at this year's General Assembly, 'lofty goals need to be made real to people,' and that's why we're hosting this event," said UN Resident Coordinator a.i. for Trinidad and Tobago, Dennis Zulu. This inaugural edition of the SDG Amazing Race focuses on SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. UNHCR and IOM champion this goal by promoting inclusion and acceptance of migrants and refugees. To win the competition, teams had to navigate a trivia maze and a complete an amateur steelpan showdown. The trivia maze featured questions on the United Nations, the SDGs, migrants and refugees. These questions presented an excellent opportunity to raise awareness about the meaningful contributions that migrants and refugees have made in their host communities, both in Trinidad and Tobago and globally. In the steelpan competition that followed, we tasked these amateur pannists with learning the Venezuelan folk song, Alma Llanera. Young members of the Proman Starlift Steel Orchestra coached participants, and the contestants then performed in front of a panel of celebrity judges and diplomats from the United Nations and the European Union. "When we leave from here today, I want you all to remember that the purpose is to show that migrants, refugees, and people from anywhere, regardless of the circumstances, don't just come with their suitcases. They come with their passions and skills," said Jewel Ali, Head of Office at the International Organization of Migration, Port of Spain. Her UN colleague, UNHCR Head of National Office, Miriam Aertker, added, "Can you imagine the untapped potential we can release by supporting the inclusion and integration of refugees and migrants here in Trinidad and Tobago?" The SDG 16 challenge fit perfectly with the Inclusive Cities project in Chaguanas, an initiative financed by the European Union. Funding for this event came from the UN RCO and the Inclusive Cities Project. "Everybody should be an Ambassador for good. Sometimes little acts by all of us can have a tremendous impact," said His Excellency Peter Cavendish, Ambassador of the European Union, as he encouraged all participants to become ambassadors for the SDGS. The winning team of Shereen Maharaj and Anu-Nandika Bachew walked away with specially designed SDG 16 trophies, while all participants received UN tokens. Special thanks to the European Union in Trinidad and Tobago, The Inclusive Cities Project, The Chaguanas Borough Corporation, and Proman Starlift Steel Orchestra. The event would not have been possible without them Story by Keval Marimuthu
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Story
13 September 2022
From Blackboard to Black Tanks: Teacher Turns to Aquaponics
She's still more than a decade away from retiring from her day job as a school teacher, but Lisa Perez has already started working towards another of her lifeโs goals.
At her humble Wallerfield, Arima, home, she temporarily pauses her efforts to prepare for her rows of students at school and begins her labour among the rows of PVC pipes that are taking shape at her hydroponics farm. The daytime giggling of her students has given way to the gentle gurgling of the water, as dedicated pumps aerate her massive 10-foot wide aquaculture tanks, in which hundreds of tilapia make random eddies and purls as they feed and flex, in a cycle that Lisa intends to use to tackle food security and sustainable farming.
Lisaโs journey into this type of farming may have very well been by chance. As a traditional farmer many years ago, a bee slipped under her facemask while she was applying a chemical mixture to her crop. In her rush to remove the insistent insect, Lisa accidentally spilled some of the substance on herself. Since that day, she has tried to veer away from farming that involves harsh chemicals.
A childhood love for aquarium fish took the lead, and Lisa decided to investigate the aquaculture concept. โSince I was a youth, I tended to mind a lot of fishes. I had ornamental fishes, and trying to study to get out of the traditional farming, I wanted to get involved in smart farming whereby youโre using less land to produce more,โ she says.
โSo I started doing research in how to involve technologyโฆ and so I came upon aquaponics and I started doing that. I then attended the tilapia aquaculture classes at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries Division.โ
Her start-up saw a few challenges surface; labour was one of them.
โI think that sometimes people donโt share your vision. At one time I had support from one of my brothers, but he has since returned to his job (post-pandemic). Off and on I would have a couple of people on to do extra labour, but I donโt think they understand the concept of the aquaponics.โ
Another source of hiccups was the market. โThere is risk associated with everything, because the model came through the Sugarcane Feed Centre, which purchased all of the fishes. So we would rear the fishes and the grow-out, they would take every month. But once the model is successful and you have the market, it is a way forward.
โThere are a lot of people out there with knowledge of aquaculture. It is easy if you have the money (to invest), but it took a lot from me, because I had to spend over $250,000, and the risk for me was not having that effective market, because I found myself having to market my produce on my own. Sometimes you hire someone to fillet, and they want to charge you more than what you feel they should get.โ
Another issue she faced was her lack of training. She chuckles as she recalls, โtilapia was really the model. I have tried crayfish, and that was not successful, because I did not have the knowledge with regard to thatโฆ because they walked out of the system.โ
But those were some of the minor speedbumps that Lisa had to negotiate eight years ago, when she set up her operation. Her voice takes a sombre tone as she recalls her early days taking her tilapia to market.
โMy first venture out to sell tilapia, they offered me three dollars a pound. That could not cut it for me. At least if it were ten dollars, yes, probably,โ she recalls.
But in the true spirit of resilience that runs in her family - her father Ramon Perez was an entrepreneur who set up a number of successful small businesses -Lisa went back to the drawing board, looking for ways that she could make her business sustainable.
โSo I started to do more research on what could be done with tilapia, rather than sell it for three dollars. I saw things like composting, silage, fish fillets and even fish meal, which can be used to feed other animals on the farm. The aim is to take that project and create a business, not only for the farm, but the wider community as well.โ
Her project has grown over the years, as she fine-tunes her master plan for production: โIt is a closed-loop system, in that the water is moved out of the fish tank into the grow-bed โ those are the troughs โ and it is basically about using the waste from the fish in order to give nutrients to the plantsโฆ so itโs supposed to have different vegetables on the grow-beds.โ
She expresses some surprise about discovering the challenges of being a woman in agriculture; after all, as a girl growing up with her four brothers, she was always treated like โone of the boysโ. Now, the stark reality has revealed itself to her. She says service providers tend to charge a bit more, markets treat you differently, and there are just some days where one needs to have support to do the sometimes literal โheavy liftingโ.
โI thought they used to really take care of our women, but it seems that they donโt. And this is strange in the agriculture world. I think they tend to exploit women,โ Lisa muses, when asked if a man would have been meted out the same treatment she has had.
โI was expecting things to be a different way; where as a woman, people will help you move forward. But that was not the case. Sometimes you meet the right person, and sometimes you meet the wrong person. Across the board, I personally feel that men will take advantage of women. Even like your car (for transport), the price costs X, but when a woman steps up, sometimes it could cost double the price. I personally feel that men donโt see women as being strong, and wanting to venture out there and do their best, and they are not there to support us. But I, I donโt give up. If someone puts me down, I will look for another avenue (for success).โ
In fact, Lisa wants to be a beacon for the women in agriculture in her community.
โWhen I look around โ within this road alone โ a lot of the women work very hard. And I donโt see the return on the hard work and the hours that are put behind the farming. I donโt know if we are not tapping into the right resources; I donโt know if it is that we are lacking certain skills to make that step out there,โ she says.
โWith regard to training, the whole thing was to show them a smart way in doing farming, rather than all that laborious work โ time-consuming โ so I wanted to change thatโฆ and not just within our community, but beyond.โ
Lisa Perez is one of the local aquaponics practitioners who will participate in the AMEXCID/CARICOM/FAO Initiative โCooperation for Adaptation and Resilience to Climate Change in the Caribbeanโ (โResilient Caribbean Initiativeโ), which began since the Caribbean is particularly vulnerable to climate change. The initiative seeks to promote adaptation to climate change of agri-food systems (agriculture, livestock, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture) and the resilience of the livelihoods of the rural population of the sub-region. The โResilient Aquacultureโ project is expected to increase the contribution of aquaculture to food security, nutrition and livelihoods in the participating countries and will run through to June 2023. For more information, please email risha.alleyne@fao.org.
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Video
22 June 2022
Taking the SDGs to the Community - Outreach Caravan 2022
Governments cannot achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on their own. It takes collaboration among every stakeholder - the private sector, media, civil society and members of the public - to make this mission a reality by 2030.
To help educate the public on the 17 SDGs, the UN in T&T team is doing a community outreach tour throughout 2022. This Outreach Caravan kicked off in the turtle-watching village of Grande Rivere, where hundreds of visitors converge every night during the mid-year months to see scores of turtles come ashore and lay their eggs.
This crucial nesting site and the committed involvement of the Turtle Village Trust in protecting and tracking turtles and their nests was the perfect place to showcase sustainable development, and how communities can get involved!
UN staff members from the International Organization for Migration, the Spotlight Initiative and the Resident Coordinator's Office set up an outreach booth at the Turtle Village Trust's Visitor Outreach Centre. As visitors came to sign up for their turtle watching tours, they popped into our booth to play SDG trivia games, watch Virtual Reality experiences about environmental conservation and migration, and walk away with SDG memorabilia.
Additional caravan stops will be announced in the coming months.
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Story
09 September 2022
Victims of Trafficking Receive Better Care, Protection Through New IOM, USAID Project
PORT-OF-SPAIN, TRINIDAD: Yesterday, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Port of Spain Office, in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) launched the Heal, Empower, Rise โ Counter Trafficking in Persons (HER CTIP) Project at The Brix, Autograph Collection, Cascade.
The US$950,000, two-year project (2022-2024) aims to strengthen the victim support environment in Trinidad and Tobago, in order to facilitate both timely and quality services to Victims of Trafficking (VoTs) in Trinidad and Tobago. Specifically, the project would support Trinidad and Tobagoโs national (Government and NGOs) response to VoTs through the augmentation, enhancement as well as enrichment of protection and assistance services and systems to potential, presumed, and confirmed VoTs.
Attending the launch were the Honourable Ayanna Webster-Roy, Minister with responsibility for Gender and Child Affairs, and Senator the Honourable Donna Cox, Minister of Social Development and Family Services.
Minister Webster-Roy stated, โTodayโs launch highlights the importance of gender-aligned initiatives as we recognise the rights of all and take a multifaceted approach to addressing female empowerment, child rights, and sexual protection.โ
She noted that from 2013-2016, 61 per cent of human trafficking cases in Trinidad and Tobago involved sexual exploitation and this proportion increased to 80 per cent between 2017 and 2018.
โThe Division continues to be one of the key gatekeepers responsible for human trafficking prevention through education and sensitisation, which has resulted in adherence to the National Plan of Action Against Trafficking in Persons 2021-2025. Under this National Plan, we are also responsible for the protection of survivors and witnesses through shelters and alternative care.โ
Minister Cox said her Ministry is moving swiftly towards a service delivery model called the Social Transformation Empowerment Programme, commonly known as STEP-UP, which treats with empowering and helping its clients to achieve sustainable living and independence.
โThis Heal, Empower, Rise โ Counter Trafficking (in Persons) Project therefore resonates well the Ministryโs STEP-UP service delivery model and our mandate to provide a robust social protection system for the vulnerable,โ she noted.
With over 25 years of experience in counter-trafficking, IOM works in collaboration with governments, international and non-governmental organizations, the private sector as well as human rights, peace and development actors on all aspects of counter-trafficking responses โ prevention, protection, prosecution and partnership. Since the mid-1990s, IOM and its partners have provided protection and assistance to over 100,000 men, women and children globally, including those at risk of violence, exploitation and abuse and those who were trafficked.
Head of Office for IOM Port of Spain, Ms. Jewel Ali, said, โTrafficking in Persons is a crime and grave human rights violation of enormous scale, which is prevalent in peace, conflict and disaster areas. In Trinidad and Tobago, IOM collaborates with Ministries across the Government and most significantly in the past with the Ministry of National Security to develop the Trafficking in Persons (TiP) Act which also led to the establishment of the Counter Trafficking Unit (CTU). Today IOMโs strong relationship with the CTU has led to among other things, the referral of potential cases for investigation and the support of victims.โ
The project represents a strategic partnership between IOM Trinidad and Tobago and donor USAID, โthe worldโs premier international development agencyโ.
Clinton D. White, USAID Eastern and Southern Caribbean Regional Representative, noted in his remarks that at USAID, โwe take human trafficking very seriously.โ
He reported at a programming level, USAID has provided over USD 340 million in assistance to 83 countries and regions to fight human trafficking.
โWe believe that a critical ingredient for a stronger response and greater effectiveness is through partnership."
The HER CTIP Project is seamlessly aligned to USAIDโs Policy on Countering Trafficking in Persons which promotes a victim-centered approach and will specifically focus on young girls and women who are victims of trafficking. This Project seeks to assist with fulfilling some of the recommendations of the U.S. TIP 2021 report for Trinidad and Tobago, which underscored the need to โimprove the quality of victim careโ and โincrease trauma-informed training on trafficking for NGO, shelter, social services.โ
U.S. Embassy in Port of Spain Chargรฉ dโAffaires, Shante Moore, noted, โCriminals in Caribbean countries target the most marginalized and source, move and sell the most vulnerable members of our society including young women and children.โ
He reported the United States Government through USAID has committed over USD 14 million to counter-trafficking efforts in the Caribbean.
โWhile working jointly to dismantle human trafficking rings and prosecuting the guilty to the fullest extent of the law, we must ensure that victims and survivors are protected and receive the highest level of care, counselling and support."
The HER CTIP Project is designed as a multi-stakeholder initiative with the main goal of leading victims of trafficking to their healing and empowerment and propelling them to live meaningful and productive lives.
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For additional information, please contact the Reporting and Communications Officer at IOM Port-of-Spain, Ms. Kandy Serrant, at kserrant@iom.int.
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Publication
20 May 2022
2021 United Nations in T&T Annual Results Report
Each year, the UN country team publishes a results report outlining all the achievements, activities and outcomes produced by the work of UN agencies operating in Trinidad and Tobago. This is the annual results report for 2021.
Key Highlights:
- 4,700+ teachers trained on GBV
- 70,000 children trained on GBV
-19 health centres upgraded with information management systems
- 1,000 contraceptive implants provided to Ministry of Health
-769 counselling sessions provided to migrants and refugees
-8,275 migrants and refugees who received food assistance
-1,600 children benefitted from online mental health sessions
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Story
24 January 2023
Fewer Victims of Trafficking Being Identified Amid Rising Vulnerability
January 24, 2023 - Fewer victims of trafficking in persons are being identified even as the COVID-19 pandemic and other crises are increasing vulnerabilities to exploitation, according to the latest Global Report on Trafficking in Persons launched today by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Theโฏnumber of victims detected globally fell by 11 per cent in 2020 from the previous year, driven by fewer detections in low- and medium-income countries. The pandemic, in addition to reducing opportunities for traffickers to operate, may have weakened law enforcement capacities to detect victims.
โThis latest report shows how the pandemic has increased vulnerabilities to trafficking in persons, further undercutting capacities to rescue victims and bring criminals to justice,โ said UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly. โWe cannot allow crises to compound exploitation. The UN and the donor community need to support national authorities, most of all in developing countries, to respond to trafficking threats, and to identify and protect victims especially in states of emergency.โโฏ
The seventh UNODC Global Report on Trafficking in Persons covers 141 countries and provides an overview of patterns and flows of trafficking in persons at global, regional and national levels, based on trafficking cases detected between 2017 and 2021. The findings are further informed by analysis of 800 court case summaries and accompanied by detailed suggestions to policy makers to help formulate effective responses.โฏ
Fewer cases of trafficking for sexual exploitation were detected during the pandemic as public spaces were closed and related restrictions may have pushed this form of trafficking into more concealed and less safe locations, making it harder to identify victims.โฏ
Globally, the number of convictions for trafficking offences also fell by 27 per cent in 2020 from the previous year โ with sharper decreases registered in South Asia (56 per cent), Central America and the Caribbean (54 per cent) and South America (46 per cent) โ accelerating a longer-term trend registered by UNODC since 2017.โฏ
Court case analysis featured in the report further shows that trafficking victims, when they are identified, escape from traffickers on their own and are in effect โself-rescuedโ โ there are more cases of victims escaping and reporting to authorities of their own initiative (41 per cent) than cases where victims were located by law enforcement (28 per cent), members of the community and civil society (11 per cent). This is especially alarming considering many victims of trafficking may not identify themselves as victims or may be too afraid of their exploiters to attempt escaping.โฏ
The report also details how war and conflict offer opportunities for traffickers to exploit. It shows that the war in Ukraine is elevating trafficking risks for the displaced population. Most victims resulting from conflicts originate in and are trafficked to countries in Africa and the Middle East.โฏ Breaking down trafficking in persons statistics by region, the report shows higher levels of impunity in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Countries in these regions convict fewer traffickers and detect fewer victims than the rest of the world. At the same time, victims from these regions are identified in a wider range of destination countries than victims from other regions. For information only โ not an official document 2 The 2022 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons also examines court cases showing that female victims are subject to physical or extreme violence at hands of traffickers at a rate three times higher than males, and children almost twice as often as adults.โฏ
At the same time, women investigated for trafficking in persons are also significantly more likely to be convicted than men. This suggests that the justice system may discriminate against women, and/or that the role of women in trafficking networks may increase the likelihood that they are convicted for the crime. โฏ
*** The UNODC Global Report on Trafficking in Persons has been published since 2009. Mandated by the UN General Assembly to inform an effective response to this crime and place it within the context of theโฏUN Sustainable Development Agenda, the Report draws upon the largest existing dataset on trafficking in persons, with information on the more than 450,000 victims and 300,000 (suspected) offenders detected worldwide between 2003 and 2021.โฏ
*** * For further information, please contact: BrianโฏHansford Chief, UNODC Advocacy Sectionโฏ Mobile: (+43-699) 1458-3225โฏ Email: brian.hansford[at]un.orgโฏ
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Story
23 January 2023
2022 Performance Results for the UN Country Team
The latest UN performance results for the year 2022 have revealed Gender Equality, Reduced Inequalities and Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions as the top three SDGs receiving support from the UN Country Team.
The data comes from the performance report detailing the UN's activities in support of the Country Implementation Plan (CIP) for Trinidad and Tobago from January - September 2022.
The report details US $6.3m in spending for the first nine months of 2022. Final data for the full 12 months of 2022 will be made available in early 2023.
The UNCT supported a range of projects in Trinidad and Tobago to advance the SDGs, including the installation of solar panels in remote communities and the provision of technical assistant for the development of a renewable energy policy. Innovative financing options for women business owners and the training of more than 600 officials on the protection of refugees and asylum seekers were other key initiatives.
See details of the report below.
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Story
20 January 2023
IOM Uncovering Urgent Needs of Victims of Trafficking
On November 8, 2022, representatives from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Port of Spain Office, presented the Findings on the Situational Analysis of Assistance Efforts to Survivors of Human Trafficking as part of the Migration Multi-Partner Trust Fundโs (MPTF) Access, Support and Coordination (ASC) Programme: A Collaborative Approach to Support Survivors of Human Trafficking. This presentation event was held at the Hilton Trinidad and Conference Centre and was attended by members of the Government, the Diplomatic Community, United Nations (UN) Agencies, Academia, Non-Governmental and Civil Society Organisations.
The analysis, which was conducted by IOM Port of Spain, revealed that urgent needs of victims of trafficking (VoTs) include shelter, medical/health care, psychological support and education, and training. Employment, protection, legal assistance, and reintegration were also highlighted, along with translation/interpretation services.
Additionally, the analysis found that the provision of services to VoTs is particularly challenged by professional staff shortages, as it relates to service providers, unclear and unstructured referral mechanisms, victimsโ safety concerns, victimsโ lack of trust in authorities, and inadequate placement facilities for children. Furthermore, it recognized that the COVID-19 pandemic heightened migrantsโ vulnerability to trafficking.
Deputy Director, International Affairs Unit, Richard Lynch speaking on behalf of the Minister of National Security said, โThe findings of the Situational Analysis this morning offers an opportunity for us to further strengthen the implementation framework for key policy prescriptions.โ
He stressed that when examining the issue of Trafficking in Persons (TiP) it is important to understand the relationship between profitability and high demand. Deputy Director Lynch also highlighted the past and current efforts of the Government to address TiP, such as: the passage of the TiP Act in 2011; the establishment of the Counter Trafficking Unit in 2013, and the strengthening of key relationships with the IOM, as well as with bilateral partners like the United States of America, who is presently assisting with the recruitment of a TiP Strategic Advisor to the Ministry of National Security. Moreover, he advised that the Cabinet recently approved the National Plan of Action against Trafficking, which was designed to advance the coordination and implementation of activities toward the achievement of the objectives outlined in the legislation.
Her Excellency Ute Kรถnig, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Trinidad and Tobago noted that the Situational Analysis โwill give recommendations to deal with the access of support for victims of trafficking in Trinidad and Tobago and will strive to improve their situation and the understanding of all involved. She also added that โConcrete measures to improve procedures, services, or law implementation need a factual basis.โ
Data which informed the Situational Analysis was collected through semi-structured interviews with 30 key national stakeholders from government, NGOs, and international agencies as well as 15 victims of trafficking (VoTs), over a two-month period, from February to March 2022.
IOM Port of Spain Principal Research Consultant Leigh-Ann Waldropt-Bonair in her presentation of findings reported that the main recommendations to improve assistance efforts for VoTs include: reviewing and updating the TiP Act; developing and/or finalising migration, labour migration and anti-smuggling policies; funding, and implementing the National Plan of Action; as well as enhancing the capacity of law enforcement.
Tinestia Haynes, Case Coordinator from IOM Port of Spain, in her overview of the ASC Programme said the main objective is for survivors of trafficking to have access to comprehensive and integrated, survivor-centred, specialized services and support, through coordinated efforts by national protection actors and CSOs with support from the United Nations.
The three year project, which was awarded to IOM, UNICEF and UNFPA, seeks to strengthen the capacities of governmental and community-based partners who are responsible for coordinating efforts to respond to the needs of survivors of trafficking in Trinidad and Tobago. This programme is under the Migration MPTF which supports the adoption of the Global Compact for Migration (GCM) as well as encourages the implementation of migration approaches that benefit communities of origin, transit, and destination, as well as migrants.
Regarding the MPTF, Ambassador Kรถnig recognized that the Fund is a strong and indispensable pillar that reinforces the resilience of migrants and communities in order to protect and improve migration governance, prosperity, and social cohesion. She noted that Germany was an early supporter of the Fund, has been the largest donor thus far, and will continue contributing to its financial stability.
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For additional information, please contact the Reporting and Communications Officer at IOM Port-of-Spain, Ms. Kandy Serrant, at kserrant@iom.int
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Story
21 December 2022
CHAMP Offers Safe Spaces For Youth and Parents to Talk About Gender Issues
โMy name is Tyrell* and I am 21 years old. I aspire to be a youth Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) advocate and instructor as I think it is important to close the gap in youth SRHR information and access to services in Trinidad and Tobago.โ
Tyrell was one of the participants in the Collaborative HIV and AIDS Adolescent Mental Health Programme (CHAMP), implemented by the Family Planning Association of Trinidad and Tobago (FPATT). FPATT is an active partner in the Spotlight Initiative and has worked with vulnerable groups for more than sixty (60) years including young people. As a sexual and reproductive health and rights advocate, FPATT modified CHAMP to integrate education around gender-based violence (GBV) as a key issue addressed in the programme. As such the association is actively working to curtail GBV through education and awareness programmes.
Approximately 32% of the population of Trinidad and Tobago is under the age of 25 years (June 2014) and face unique challenges and risks that directly impact their physical, emotional, mental health and well-being. Issues include early sexual debut, high rates of unplanned adolescent pregnancies, adolescent parenting, sexually transmitted diseases, HIV, unsafe abortions, navigating gender-relations and sexual violence. The impact of gender-based violence demonstrates that the role and effect on young people must be considered in the overall web of actors to address violence. As a result of these concerns that continue to prevail among youth in Trinidad and Tobago, FPATT was driven to implement primary prevention programmes.
Tyrell enrolled in CHAMP through the advice of one of his peers. โMy friend told me I could learn more about sexual and reproductive health and that the trainers would be open and honestโฆ. It sounded like a good way for me to increase my knowledge on SRHR so I could share information with my peers,โ he said. Tyrell participated in the 12-week programme which primarily focused on community-based youth and adult caregivers.
Developed by psychologists and experts in HIV and AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), GBV and Communication, FPATTโs CHAMP programme concentrates on influencing parenting to heighten youth awareness of cultural norms and values that negatively impact sexual choices. It encourages parents to reinforce risk prevention by coaching and supporting youth to apply specific skills to delay sex and handle relationship pressures by obtaining guidance, information and emotional support.
Former Deputy Executive Director of FPATT, Sharon Mottley explained that the CHAMP curriculum was designed to cover difficult and sensitive topics. โUnder the HIV component, we covered gender-based violence because what we recognized is that there's an intersectionality between gender-based violence and HIV.โ CHAMP also incorporates an inclusive approach with prioritization being placed on those from vulnerable groups including, inter-alia, persons living with disabilities, migrants and those from the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex (LGBTQI) community, to prevent and respond to family violence. โWe also discussed gender and gender norms, values defining who I am, communication, sex and sexuality, relationships, power, and prevention. Topics that covered relationships and violence were conducted with a therapist present or we provided a direct hotline to psychosocial support as some topics could have triggering effects,โ said Mottley.
Asked why the CHAMP initiative was important, Mottley said the programme aims to create a healthy generation of young people and helps them and parents navigate difficult or sensitive issues: โCHAMP provides a safe space for young people and parents to articulate and encourages familial empowerment. Empowerment starts from when you change the hearts and minds of people and when you give them the ability to make that change for themselves.โ
As a participant, Tyrell said he thoroughly enjoyed the programme because of the participatory nature of the sessions. He said, โI liked how the trainers held nothing back and how they were able to break down gender norms and sexuality. I am inspired by the CHAMP programme and motivated to share information with my friends. I hope very soon I can be a facilitator of the programme to increase knowledge on SRHR and give back to my communityโ.
*Name changed to protect privacy.
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20 December 2022
Small Grant Makes A Huge Difference For The Shelter
Small grant under the Spotlight Initiative makes a huge difference for The Shelter
The Spotlight Initiative Trinidad and Tobago continues to engage with civil society and the womenโs movement by providing funding to support their institutional strengthening, as these organisations are instrumental in efforts to end family violence.
One of the successful recipients of the UN Women small grant under the Spotlight Initiative is The Shelter for Battered Women and Children, a safe haven for women and children who are victims of all forms of domestic violence.
The Shelter reopened after 3 years of intense renovations, with all new staff. This state-of-the-art facility now has a capacity for providing a safe haven for 21 female survivors of domestic violence along with their children below the age of 10. The goal of The Shelterโs โProject Resetโ, funded by the small grant, is for sustainable organisational effectiveness by training staff on efficient operational procedures, good governance, transparency and accountability. Quality service delivery for survivors of domestic violence and their children is crucial for their healing and empowerment. This also facilitates opportunities for building on their strengths and becoming empowered independent women and families.
Chairman Colin Mitchell was grateful to have been a recipient of the small grant and highlighted the numerous improvements he has witnessed thus far in the delivery of the organisationโs services. โItโs changing things in The Shelter already and other organisations should apply for a grant because it makes a huge difference,โ he said.
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