She says they are not adequately provided for in public places and at private functions. She is also calling for greater emphasis to be placed on the needs of people with Autism Spectrum Disorder and for the formulation of national policies on education and in other areas of national development.

This, she said, will ensure that all citizens are able to contribute to this country’s sustainable development regardless of their abilities.

Carmona was speaking at the opening of a regional workshop on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at the Hyatt Regency, Wrightson Road, Port of Spain.

The workshop was organised by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the local office of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Carmona suggested that the participants encourage leaders of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to declare a caribbean decade for disabled people to run from 2018 to 2028 which, she said, would inspire action to bring the differently abled fully into Caribbean society.

She urged presenters and participants to deal with the issue of reporting, remarking that for too long there had been a lag in the submission of national reports to the various human rights committees and that the reports are used as one of the ways of measuring the national implementation of the obligations under the various human rights treaties. She said what she called “reporting fatigue” might be due to the absence of comprehensive data which is often an important part of the reporting mechanism.

“There must be proper data and properly directed data collecting in the Caribbean. Data informs policy, effective planning, transformational initiatives, holistic philosophies and the necessary human activism.” Minister of Social Development and Family Services Cherrie-Ann Critchlow-Cockburn said since June 2015, when this country ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the ministry made efforts to meet the obligations under the convention.

She said a critical part of this obligation was the revision of the draft National Policy on Persons with Disabilities which, she said, was intended as a framework for the government’s mandate in supporting the initiative. Critchlow- Cockburn said the ministry plans, very soon, to hold a series of consultations to finalise the revised draft policy.

She said while a lot is being done, much more needs to be done both here and in the other countries which were represented at the meeting. Critchlow- Cockburn said her ministry is committed to working closely with the UNDP to protect the rights of those with disabilities.

Richard Blewitt, the UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative for TT, told Newsday many people with disabilities have “tremendous assets and capacities” to offer society. He expects that all government officials at the conference would be inspired to take up their responsibilities to follow up and report, on a timely basis, the progress they have made in their countries in ratifying the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

He said while many Caribbean countries had ratified the convention, reporting on their work was an important part of the process because it was about accountability and transparency.

This Strategy is geared towards matching donor funding with the needs of the country to build the supply side capacity and trade related infrastructure. This means that the Government will now have a structured programme of trade related project interventions which can be used to target specific donor funding.

Donors will now be able to use Trinidad and Tobago’s Aid for Trade Strategy as a framework for mobilising resources to address the trade priorities of Trinidad and Tobago and the related projects. For our exporters the Strategy provides a unique opportunity to obtain resources to address critical constraints that hinder their capacity to trade’.

Gopee-Scoon informed the audience that the Aid for Trade Strategy is of primary importance for a country like Trinidad and Tobago, which at this time is seeking to diversify its exports in the non-energy sectors. She said, “Currently, Trinidad and Tobago faces numerous trade-related challenges in its domestic environment.

“The Government of Trinidad and Tobago is therefore focused on addressing such challenges as, the lack of internationally accredited testing facilities, inadequate financing mechanisms, underdeveloped market intelligence, congestion at the ports, and absence of payment mechanisms to facilitate e-commerce.” The Strategy covers a three year period from 2016 to 2019 and presents a coherent framework of priority areas, identified by domestic business support organisations, Ministries and agencies, necessary to address the challenges faced in expanding trade in Trinidad and Tobago.

The Aid for Trade framework consists of three pillars: Export Diversification, Competitiveness and Trade Facilitation. Each Pillar contains, objectives, priority areas and projects that are aligned with Government’s Draft National Strategic Development Plan, Vision 2030.’ Senator Gopee-Scoon urged the private sector to become actively involved in the implementation of this Strategy to ensure that aid also promotes ‘investment for trade’.

The Ministry will have general oversight for the implementation of the Aid for Trade Strategy, country ownership at the highest political level and effective intra-governmental co- ordination will ensure successful implementation of the Strategy. Trinidad and Tobago’s National Aid for Trade Strategy includes a robust monitoring and evaluation mechanism.

Norris Herbert, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry stated that, “The Aid for Trade Strategy will be a key tool in diversifying the economy.” He acknowledged the dedication and commitment of those involved in the development of the National Aid for Trade Strategy and called for continued discussions and collaboration amongst stakeholders.

Candice Lackhansingh, Programme Coordinator at the Ministry, delivered a detailed presentation on the strategy. She outlined the Structure of the Aid for Trade Strategy and described the priority areas and projects to which Donors can target their assistance. She further explained how the strategy would be implemented.

Lackhansingh concluded by calling for the continued development of project proposals by the various stakeholders.

The Tobago Jazz Experience ended on Sunday with performances by Grace Jones, Lletesha Sylvester, Ronald Hinkson, Arita Edmund, Cousoumeh, Kaycyy and Elan Trotman.

On the occasion of World Tuna Day, which is observed today, the Ministry said it is prudent for a coastal State like TT with waters under its sovereignty potentially more than 15 times its land mass, to pay attention to conservation and management of its living marine resources.

World Tuna Day is a day dedicated by the United Nations to raise awareness of the value of tuna resources, the threats facing tuna populations and the social and economic benefits to be gained by sustainably managing the stocks.

The major commercial fleets of Trinidad and Tobago’s tuna fishery are the pelagic longline fleet that is based mainly in Trinidad – these larger- scale, semi-industrial vessels fish farther out and even on the High Seas – and the small-scale artisanal fleets (pirogues) of both islands which catch tuna in the coastal waters.

Overall, these fleets total around 2,000 vessels of which over 95% are pirogues. Over the past five years (2012 to 2016) the longline fleet has landed over 7,000 tonnes of yellowfin tuna, bigeye tuna and albacore, with yellowfin tuna making up 90 percent of these landings.

The fleet benefits from a lucrative export market in the US; 88 percent of the landings over the five-year period were exported there with an estimated ex-vessel value of just over US$30M.

Over the same fiveyear period greater than 837 tonnes of the three species were sold locally at an estimated ex-vessel value exceeding TT$5.6M. Other tuna species such as skipjack tuna, blackfin tuna, frigate tuna, Atlantic bonito and little tunny are also very important to the local economy.

There are operations in every ocean and the fisheries in some regions are growing in capacity. Commercial tuna fisheries are among the most lucrative fisheries globally.

A 2016 study carried out for the PEW Charitable Trusts found that in 2012 the Atlantic Ocean catches of the major tuna species (yellowfin tuna, skipjack tuna, bigeye tuna, bluefin tuna and albacore) were about 478 000 tonnes with an ex-vessel (first sale) value of US$1.36 billion.

These figures amount to a little over 10% of the global catches of these tuna species and 11% of their global ex-vessel value.

More than being highly appreciated as food fish, tunas are also admired as predators in terms of their size, speed and power. As such, they also support important recreational fisheries in tropical and temperate waters worldwide. Owing to the high value of tunas for food and sport, several species have been overfished globally, some to greater extents than others.

Resulting from the need to conserve tuna resources worldwide, and considering the distributions and migratory nature of the various populations, tuna fisheries are managed by inter-governmental organisations called regional fisheries management organisations (RFMOs) whose jurisdictions are confined to specific ocean bodies.

Recently at the Chaguanas branch of the nation’s second largest bank, an elderly woman standing in line for an excessive length of time collapsed heavily to the ground. Other customers assisted her and, with the help of one of the security officers, she was put on a seat. There was no one trained in first aid and one can only guess what would have happened had the problem been more serious.

There were the usual expressions of concern and anger at the woman’s predicament but our powerless citizens simply continued with their affairs, with no consideration given to the possibility of taking action against the bank.

It brings to mind the recent occurrence on the United Airlines flight where a passenger was dragged bodily from the plane. Naturally, that matter is going to end up in court and the passenger is certain to be able to give up his practice, if he is so minded, with the payout he is guaranteed to get.

Pity such practices are not a part of our culture.

KARAN MAHABIRSINGH Carapichaima

The event is geared towards singles who share a passion and common interest in leading an active, healthy lifestyle. It caters to two distinct age groups, 18-35 and 33-50.

There is a 8 am morning event for 33-50 year-olds and a 2 pm – 6 pm event for people 18-35 year-old.

Speed dating is a formalised matchmaking/dating process. Love Sweat and Reps participants will move through a circuit of 32 activities including 24 physical and eight mental challenges, meeting a different potential match at every new station in the circuit. The challenges will encourage teamwork while creating an easy-going setting to chat and interact.

Love Sweat and Reps will start with an aerobics warm-up and end with a mixer. Come alone, leave with connections, friends and, possibly, love interests. Vist Passion Fruit Events on Facebook or Instagram for more information.

Costelloe, who is also an avid mountain biker and road cyclist, won the Olympic distance triathlon race which comprised a 1,500-metre swim, 40km ride and 10km run. Costelloe finished with an overall time of two hours, 10:34 seconds (2:10:34), after completing the swim in 23:17, the ride in 1:03:15 and the run in 41:41. The second place finisher was a distant 12 minutes behind.

The Caribbean Triathlon Championship featured athletes from Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Curacao, Bahamas, Barbados, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, and Puerto Rico among others.

Talking about his success, Costelloe said, “When I won it I was literally speechless. It is really an unbelievable feeling to win the Caribbean Championships especially since this is my first time entering the event. It was definitely one of my most memorable wins to date.” Despite his victory, Costelloe said the conditions on Sunday were difficult. “The conditions were a little tricky because they had winds up to 35 kilometres an hour which made the swim a little difficult.

The breeze was hitting you from the side so you had a little current to play with. The main challenge came on the bike where you were getting hit with the 35km breeze, either from your front, from your back or your side, which made the cycling part of it a lot more challenging,” he explained.

What gave Costelloe the edge though was that cycling is his strength and he unsurprisingly extended his lead on the chasing pack during the bike leg.

Costelloe, who won the National Duathlon Championships recently, is not getting swell-headed by his triumphant Caribbean debut and still feels he can get better.

“Hard work by many have gone into these results and I am very pleased with my performance. I still see room for improvement and I will only keep on striving to better myself,” he said.

He hailed the love and support from his fiance, friends, family, coaches, as well as his sponsors including The Beacon Insurance Company Limited and GNC Trinidad and Tobago.

The ultimate goal of the Caribbean Age Group Triathlon Championship, held in conjunction with the Mark Cycle International Triathlon Championships, is to bring Caribbean nations together with a common goal of developing young athletes in the region.

On Monday, sea bathers in Point Fortin reported oil on their skin and a pelican covered with oil came ashore. One person said the bird appeared to be in distress and could not even flap its wings because of the oil. On Sunday night, however, the ministry said it been “monitoring the response of Petrotrin to the oil spill from Tank 70 in the Point-a-Pierre Refinery .

“The National Oil Spill Contingency Plan (NOSCP) was activated to a Tier 2 level (which allowed for maximum use of in country resources) on April 24, and the ministry is employing the incident management system to manage this spill in coordination with Petrotrin and other Government agencies…” In addition to containment, recovery and clean-up activities, the ministry said, “The management of the spill included tracking its trajectory via computer- based models complemented by daily aerial and marine surveys.” These surveys, according to the ministry, indicated movement of the spill in a westerly direction towards the TT/Venezuela maritime boundary.” The ministry also initiated the activation of the TT/ Venezuela Bilateral Oil Spill Plan via diplomatic channels through the Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs and at the operational level with officials of Petr?leos de Venezuela, PDVSA .

The ministry said “daily monitoring and reporting on oil spill response here and in Venezuela will continue in accordance with established protocols and the public will be advised on any further developments .

WHEN mistakes are made those who are responsible for making them are usually vilified or treated less than humane.

Unfortunately through learnt behaviour, making a mistake is viewed so terribly that in some instances the self-esteem and self-confidence of those so affected are negatively impacted.

I think that the fast-paced environment within which we now co-exist provides a unique opportunity for us to begin the process of unlearning such thinking. Start by removing the word “mistake” from your vocabulary and instead view every single situation and experience in your life, as an opportunity to learn and grow and to also expand and transform your mind.

Viewing an occurrence as a mistake limits your mind’s perspective in terms of what should or shouldn’t be.

If the outcomes of a particular situation are different from the original expectations, that should not be branded as a mistake but rather, new inventions and new direction.

Continuing to be fearful about making mistakes is a recipe for a tunnelled vision approach to life; it is sad to see the large numbers of people who are living in fear of making mistakes, attempting to sidestep them and even concealing them if and when they do occur.

We need to unwire our minds and welcome missteps as natural, high-yielding and dynamic game-changers.

Mistakes are critical to transformation, as they emphasize the fallibility of humankind…meaning that we are not perfect.

Understanding this puts us at a great advantage of better utilising our missteps to advance rather than deter our success.

Mistakes provide tons of new learning curves….and sometimes, it takes a major incident to shift paradigm; for example, you may have been practising a particular routine for decades, and perhaps a major injury may be the shift for that much needed change with the times.

Healthy mindfulness also arises out of mistakes, as research has shown that empathetic acceptance of our own mistakes influences our determination and commitment to move forward successfully; you also become less risk-averse and less fearful. When you think you have failed by the counter-intuitive outcomes of your intended actions, it’s sometimes new challenges that are being offered to boost your motivation towards achieving your goals.

Missteps shift us from a mindset of improvement to one of expansion, as this is the only medium through which you would be able to see the bigger picture; it’s really about embracing a larger perspective of living, self-actualisation and self-fulfilment which point us towards a direction of succumbing to our loss, re-engineering our vision and then continuing to move forward. Remember we are human and not perfect.

Use your mistakes as a stepping stone to improve, succeed and excel.

Sandrine Rattan is a communications/ branding consultant, author and President of the International Women’s Resource Network (IWRN) Contact: thecorporatesuitett@ gmail.com or intlwomensresourcenetwork@ gmail.com or contact 283-0318.

As a citizen, I will be proud to pay this tax so that I can in turn be proud of what it will do for my country.

I am very much aware that I may be a minority of one in this quest for justice, but I remain undaunted in my desire to pay property tax on my home. And yes, it is a quest for justice because I want what is due to me, which is drivable roads and passable bridges, regular water and reliable electricity.

After that I want what is due to me by virtue of this tax which are green spaces scattered throughout the country, properly maintained as they should be; the grass verges of my highways and byways maintained; oh and garbage collection; the cleaning and dredging of the waterways so that my farmers lands are not flooded out and crops destroyed because it will be them that will feed me when the energy revenue declines and we cannot import our tomatoes, cauliflower, carrots, avocados from Mexico and the Dominican Republic.

So I urge all citizens to embrace this tax. Go down to the Internal Revenue Department and pay your taxes. Free paper must burn and for far too long we property owners have gotten away with paying what can only be described as a pittance because $245 a year can’t pay for one truck load of manure.

I am however mindful of those who cannot pay this tax — senior citizens who live on fixed reduced incomes, the unemployed and the underemployed and even those who have been unfairly assessed.

The right to appeal and redress of these situations must be upheld and I would rely on the myriad lawyers careening through the halls of justice to fight for the rights of these people.

My husband and myself have built a beautiful home and intend to pay to keep improving its value and our quality of life. Anything else would make me a lesser citizen, not prepared to pay to play.

SATU-ANN I RAMCHARAN Maraval