PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, Nov 5, CMC – Trinidad and Tobago’s human rights record will come under scrutiny at the United Nations next week, with submissions from civil society organisations and other stakeholders raising concerns about emergency powers, prison conditions, gender-based violence, discrimination and the treatment of migrants.
The country is scheduled to undergo its fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR) before the UN Human Rights Council’s Working Group in Geneva on November 9.
The review will assess progress in implementing recommendations from previous cycles and consider recent developments in the country’s human rights situation.
A report by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, summarising submissions from 13 stakeholders, identifies a range of concerns while also acknowledging government initiatives and progress in specific areas.
Among the issues raised is the repeated use of States of Emergency since 2024 to address crime. Stakeholders expressed concern about expanded police and military powers, including search, seizure and detention, and the implications for judicial oversight and individual rights.
One submission cautioned against relying on emergency measures as a long-term crime-control strategy and called for stronger police training, the enforcement of body-worn camera use, improved crime-prevention plans and legislation governing police use of force.
The report also highlights concerns about detention conditions, overcrowding and prolonged pre-trial detention. Stakeholders called for independent monitoring of detention facilities, stronger judicial oversight and greater use of alternatives to remand.
The death penalty is another major issue. One stakeholder submission reported that 48 people were under sentence of death in 2026 and raised concerns about the mandatory death penalty for murder and treason, which it said prevented courts from considering individual circumstances and mitigating factors.
Recommendations included abolishing the death penalty, establishing a formal moratorium on executions and reviewing existing death sentences.
Gender-based violence also features prominently in the submissions. While stakeholders acknowledged initiatives such as the National Strategic Action Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Sexual Violence for 2023–2027, they said violence against women remained widespread, and victims continued to face barriers in accessing justice and protection.
The submissions also raised concerns about the absence of an independent national human rights institution and the legal protections available to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTIQ+) people.
One submission noted that Sections 13 and 16 of the Sexual Offences Act were reinstated following a 2025 Court of Appeal ruling, leaving consensual same-sex sexual activity between adult men criminalised. It called for the repeal of the provisions and, in the interim, a moratorium on their enforcement.
On migration, stakeholders highlighted the absence of a comprehensive domestic framework for refugees and asylum seekers, as well as concerns about prolonged detention, deportation and access to legal protection.
Other issues raised include the working conditions of foreign medical mission personnel, child protection, human trafficking, the rights of persons with disabilities and the impact of climate change on vulnerable communities.
The submissions also questioned the independence and effectiveness of environmental governance, including the role of the Environmental Management Authority, and called for stronger legal protection of the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.
The UPR is a peer-review process through which the human rights records of all 193 UN member states are examined. Trinidad and Tobago’s previous reviews took place in October 2011, May 2016 and November 2021.
The country’s delegation will be led by Chamyantie Lal, Chargée d’Affaires at its Permanent Mission to the UN Office in Geneva.
Angola, Colombia and the Netherlands will serve as rapporteurs for the review.
CMC/ed/2026