MARKING INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DAY ON RADIO IN THE CARIBBEAN

Congratulations to the TCI Human Rights Commission, and it’s director Doreen Quelch-Missick, on arranging a stimulating morning’s conversation on Radio Turks and Caicos on Thursday, 10 December, to mark International Human Rights Day.

With guests from government, opposition and civil society the programme was a great boost to the key work of the Commission. In my conversation with Doreen we highlighted some of the most important areas for TCI to consider, not least with a UN “examination” of some of our work on child and social issues next year.

I mentioned, given its topicality, the report published last week in London, the Wass Review, on child abuse in the Overseas Territories of St Helena and Ascension  Island. Although those territories are thousands of miles from the Caribbean there may be lessons for us on how to ensure potential problems are identified early.

We also talked about the problems for TCI, and many other communities, in ensuring adequate and appropriate facilities are provided for the mentally disabled. The current fall back position of a place in prison is inappropriate, and I hope that a visit by a UK NGO next year to TCI may help us start to improve an unhealthy position. Doreen was also generous to mention my wife Jill’s weekly visits to the prison to spend a couple of hours with the juvenile offenders. We agreed they need more education support than they are receiving.

Finally we considered problems around migration and human trafficking. I underlined the enormous burden placed on European countries, not least Germany, which put our problems in TCI in perspective. But we needed to confront the potential risks of illegal trafficking here, and to work at ensuring the key areas of employment, security and education are addressed.

A great initiative to promote all our responsibilities for Human Rights: I hope that the Commission and Radio Turks and Caicos will combine to produce more programmes over the next few months.

Taking part in an interview with Radio Turks and Caicos to mark International Human Rights Day