分类： politics

In a landmark diplomatic victory for Trinidad and Tobago, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has publicly thanked the global community for the overwhelming support that earned the small island nation a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the 2027-2028 term.

Announced via the Prime Minister’s official X platform, the election results confirmed Trinidad and Tobago secured backing from 181 out of 190 voting UN member states — an approval rating of 95 percent that included support from all five of the UNSC’s permanent members: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Under the UN’s long-standing regional rotation framework for the 10 non-permanent UNSC seats, one 2027-2028 seat was allocated to the Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC), which counts Trinidad and Tobago among its Caricom member states. As the only candidate nominated by the regional bloc, the nation ran uncontested for the seat currently occupied by Panama, but still faced the requirement of earning a two-thirds majority of votes from UN General Assembly members present and voting to secure the seat. The threshold stood at approximately 129 votes, a mark the nation far surpassed in a single round of voting.

Speaking immediately after the vote count concluded in New York, Minister of Foreign and Caricom Affairs Sean Sobers accepted the international community’s vote of confidence with humility and deep honor. “We accept this mantle of responsibility with humility and pride; we wish to express our profound gratitude for the friendship, partnership and solidarity shown to Trinidad and Tobago during our campaign,” Sobers said. He extended congratulations to all successful candidates in the 2027 UNSC elections, noting that Trinidad and Tobago is eager to collaborate with all incoming and sitting council members.

This term will mark Trinidad and Tobago’s second stint on the UNSC, following an earlier term in 1985-1986, and it will become the first English-speaking Caribbean nation to hold a seat on the council since Jamaica’s 2000-2001 tenure. Since gaining independence 64 years ago, Sobers emphasized, Trinidad and Tobago has consistently upheld the rule of law, advocated for human rights, and strengthened international norms, never remaining silent in the face of injustice. He reaffirmed the nation’s unwavering commitment to the UN Charter and international legal frameworks.

Sobers outlined that the nation’s campaign theme — “Building Consensus for the Realisation of Sustainable Peace and Security” — will guide all of Trinidad and Tobago’s work during its two-year term, which will begin on January 1, 2027. Facing a global landscape marked by increasingly complex interconnected challenges, the nation will prioritize fostering constructive dialogue and bridging divides between competing international actors. Three core strategic pillars will anchor Trinidad and Tobago’s agenda: curbing the illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons, advancing the women, peace, and security agenda to protect vulnerable children, and examining the growing implications of artificial intelligence for global peace and security. In line with instructions from Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar, the nation will use its platform to amplify underrepresented voices from across the globe, centering justice and equality as the foundation of lasting international security.

A formal statement from the Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs credited Persad-Bissessar’s steady, visionary leadership for delivering what it calls a transformative diplomatic milestone for the nation. The ministry recalled that the Prime Minister first launched Trinidad and Tobago’s UNSC bid during her address to the United Nations General Assembly in September 2025, and subsequently held sustained, direct diplomatic engagement with dozens of world leaders to build support for the candidacy. “Therefore, this country’s success is a testament to the vision, dedication, and steadfast leadership of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, whose commitment to advancing Trinidad and Tobago’s interests internationally has helped secure this historic victory,” the release read.

When the new council convenes in 2027, the UNSC will consist of the five permanent members alongside nine other non-permanent members: Bahrain, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Latvia, Liberia, Austria, Kyrgyzstan, Portugal, and Zimbabwe. Trinidad and Tobago will fill the seat left vacant when Panama’s current term expires on December 31, 2026, alongside four other new non-permanent members replacing outgoing Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, and Somalia.

Jack Warner, a one-time national security minister in Trinidad and Tobago who reemerged from political retirement less than two years ago to campaign alongside the United National Congress (UNC) during the country’s general election, has publicly denounced the recently enacted no-protest zone policies as a deliberate attempt to silence the nation’s citizens.

In an exclusive interview with TV6’s *Morning Edition* this week, Warner pulled no punches in his assessment of the new government regulations, but was quick to frame his criticism as constructive feedback rather than a partisan attack. Anyone interpreting his words as an assault on the ruling administration, he argued, is simply overly sensitive. “I have no regrets about supporting the UNC during the election campaign,” Warner emphasized, “and my comments here are not meant to tear anyone down.”

When pressed to respond to recent remarks from UNC leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who confirmed the ruling government has no plans to roll back the State of Emergency regulations that ban all demonstrations within 500 meters of 15 designated state institutions, Warner made his position clear: if he still held a seat in government today, he would never back such a ban. Without a legitimate, peaceful outlet to voice their discontent, Warner warned, ordinary people will inevitably turn to more extreme, destructive channels to make their voices heard.

Warner stressed that peaceful protest is a foundational pillar of any functional democracy, noting that the current administration itself rose to power in large part through public demonstrations against the previous government. He drew a historical parallel to the 1974 mobilization of the Blue River Action Committee, reminding audiences that past efforts to stifle public dissent in the country have always failed to achieve their intended goals.

“This is nothing less than an attempt to muzzle the Trinidadian people, and it is a dangerous one at that,” Warner said. “It is dangerous because when you cut off the peaceful outlet, people will find other means, and those other means will be destructive in ways our country cannot afford to handle right now.”

Addressing the growing economic and social strain on working people, Warner added: “You have to understand that people are hurting right now, and they need a way to express that pain. If their protest is constructive, that is all the better, but even when it is critical, as long as it remains nonviolent, we have no right to ban it. Our leaders need to listen to what people are saying, correct the mistakes that have been made, and stop closing off the space for public debate. For as long as I can remember, protesting near Parliament has been a normal, accepted part of our democracy. Banning that practice? Something is fundamentally wrong here.”

The former minister also commented on a recent wave of protests sparked by the police shooting death of Joshua Samaroo and the controversial decision to file criminal charges against Samaroo’s common-law wife, Kaia Sealy. Last week, a demonstration held outside the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) resulted in the arrest of three organizers: lead protester Alyssa Phillip, her mother Camille Caresquero, and local blogger Jason Da Silva. Warner said he was stunned by the overwhelming show of police force deployed to control the demonstration, which was led primarily by women.

“I’ve kept asking myself: do our leaders understand what this does to our country’s international image? Do they get how this looks to tourists who are considering visiting our shores? Do they see how this feeds the narrative of rising violence and authoritarianism that is already spreading online?” Warner said. “When you see hundreds of heavily armed police officers deployed to break up a protest of just 100 women, that is a drastic failure of judgment. I was amazed when I saw it, and I am still amazed now.”

The no-protest zone regulations have already drawn widespread criticism from the political opposition, and earlier this week a coalition of national trade unions formally called on the government to rescind the policy immediately.

As Trinidad and Tobago prepares to open a new parliamentary term this Friday, Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles has publicly confirmed she will implement a planned rotation of the Opposition’s six appointed Senate seats, a shakeup that is widely expected to include the departure of embattled senator Janelle John-Bates.

Beckles made the announcement during a press briefing held Wednesday at her Port of Spain office on Charles Street, confirming that both the House of Representatives and the Senate will convene simultaneously tomorrow to mark the start of the new session. Under the country’s Constitution, the Opposition Leader holds the exclusive authority to appoint six members to the Senate, and Beckles framed the upcoming rotation as a regular, ongoing policy rather than a one-time move.

“From time to time, my policy will be to rotate senators,” Beckles told reporters. She declined to release the full list of incoming and outgoing appointees ahead of the official opening, noting that a formal public announcement would be delivered when parliament convenes. While Beckles did not explicitly name John-Bates, she openly acknowledged that one of the senators up for rotation is facing a pending matter before the Senate Privileges Committee and has already submitted a resignation offer.

She explained: “In making that decision, I have considered many factors, including the fact that there has been a matter before the Privileges Committee. On Friday, considering all the factors, including the fact that I do have before me an offer of resignation together with all that has transpired over the last couple of weeks or months, and my right to rotate from time to time—which is what I will be doing not just on Friday but over the coming months and years—I will be making an adjustment.”

The controversy surrounding John-Bates stems from her decision to assist former Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh in editing and reviewing his witness statement ahead of his appearance before the Public Accounts and Appropriations Committee (PAAC), which was probing the state’s process for pharmaceutical acquisition, importation, and approval. After the involvement was discovered in mid-April, PAAC chairman Jagdeo Singh adjourned the inquiry following a closed-door meeting on April 13.

The Opposition quickly removed John-Bates from her PAAC posting on April 21, replacing her with fellow Opposition Senator Vishnu Dhanpaul. The governing party ramped up pressure on the senator days later, tabling a motion on April 29 to remove her from the Joint Select Committee on National Security. On May 1, Government Senator David Nakhid filed a formal privilege motion in the Senate against John-Bates and fellow Opposition member Faris Al-Rawi over their roles in the witness memorandum submitted to PAAC.

The following day, John-Bates submitted her resignation from the Senate. No formal investigation by the Privileges Committee ever moved forward, as the entire matter lapsed when the first session of the 13th Republican Parliament dissolved on May 23.

Beckles pushed back Wednesday against critics who have accused her of dragging her feet on a final decision regarding John-Bates’ seat, framing the delay as a commitment to due process. “Whilst there are those who argued about me taking time, I understand the importance of the judicial process and of justice, natural justice in particular,” she said. “As a lawyer myself of more than 30 years, I recognise the importance of the right to be heard.”

Local news outlet The Express reached out to John-Bates by phone Wednesday to ask whether she had been formally notified of her upcoming removal from the Senate. Her only response was, “No comment at this time.”