WHEREAS Article 3 of the United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination states that "Particular efforts shall be made to prevent discrimination based on race, colour or ethnic origin, especially in the fields of civil rights, access to citizenship, education, religion, employment, occupation and housing"; and

WHEREAS Article 26 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights asserts that "Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit"; and

WHEREAS on November 3rd 1973, Trinidad and Tobago ratified the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination; and

WHEREAS section 4 of the Constitution of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago recognises and declares that in Trinidad and Tobago there have existed and shall continue to exist, without discrimination by reason of race, origin, colour, religion or sex, certain fundamental human rights and freedoms; and

WHEREAS the National Anthem of Trinidad and Tobago resonates with the aspiration that "Here every creed and race find an equal place"; and

WHEREAS section 7 of the Education Act, Chap.39:01 states, "No person shall be refused admission to any public institution on account of religious persuasion, race, social status or language of such a person or of his parent"; and

WHEREAS since December 24th 2001 there has been a renewal and an institutionalization of the victimization of and discrimination against employees of State Enterprises, Statutory Authorities, Government Ministries and Public Authorities by the PNM Government; and

WHEREAS, throughout our nation, through victimization and discrimination by the PNM government, citizens are denied the opportunity to access jobs, contracts and loans in the Unemployment Relief Programme (URP); the Community Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (CEPEP) and the National Entrepreneurship Development Company Limited (NEDCO) and other public programmes; and

WHEREAS, throughout the nation, citizens are denied equality of treatment in accessing training opportunities in the Youth Apprenticeship Programme in Agriculture (YAPA); On the Job Training (OJT); Helping You Prepare for Employment (HYPE); Geriatric Adolescent/Partnership Programme (GAPP) and other public programmes; and

WHEREAS the Honourable Member for Diego Martin West and Minister of Housing has publicly affirmed a policy of racial and gender discrimination as contained in the Social and Economic Framework 2004 policy document, notwithstanding its deletion as an "Errata":

BE IT RESOLVED that this House re-affirm its commitment to the elimination of discrimination in all its forms and the right of the individual to equality of treatment from public authorities.

By the Member for St. Joseph