UPR 25th Session, Geneva, May 10, 2016
As delivered by Anna Naimark
Thank you.
The United States welcomes the Trinidadian delegation to the UPR Working Group.
The United States commends Trinidad and Tobago for its commitment to human rights and its efforts to assist those with disabilities and provide greater safeguards for those with HIV/AIDS
We note government efforts to improve aspects within the justice sector, like police treatment of suspects, detainees, and prisoners in their custody and security in prisons, but remain concerned about reports of police mistreatment and poor prison conditions.
We are also concerned about violence and discrimination against women, which continues to be a serious problem despite allocation of government resources to combat it.
Lastly, we remain concerned about the lack of respect for the human rights of LGBTI persons
Bearing in mind these concerns, we recommend that Trinidad and Tobago:
- Partner with appropriate international agencies to strengthen national capacities to collect, process, and analyze relevant human rights statistical information concerning police misconduct and prison conditions.
- Partner with existing independent human rights organizations to monitor and evaluate government interventions that combat domestic violence.
- Put into effect first cycle recommendations 87.23 and 88.50, and develop policy and programmatic responses to the needs of LGBTI persons.
(end statement)