Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar is expected to leave this morning for a Washington mission to attend meetings at the OAS and with Microsoft, Foreign Affairs Minister Suruj Rambachan said yesterday.
Works Minister Jack Warner will act as Prime Minister until her return on April 7, it was confirmed yesterday. Rambachan spoke about the PM's trip in a statement to the Lower House yesterday, saying: "We cannot afford not to be part of the process as well as to be present and engage in discussions that will redound to our credit...the diplomacy of engagement is now a necessary tool in international relations."
Main aspect of Persad-Bissessar's trip over April 4-6 will be to deliver the keynote address at an OAS hemispheric summit on women's leadership and rights, Rambachan said. The forum will examine challenges regarding women's political rights and representation. Persad- Bissessar will be accompanied by Rambachan, Culture Minister Winston Peters and Gender Affairs Minister Mary King. Rambachan said Persad-Bissessar would also hold talks with OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza and assistant secretary general Albert Ramdin.
While in Washington, Persad-Bissessar will also deliver a keynote address at the public sector leaders' forum organised by Microsoft. She is expected to discuss T&T's learning programme, its laptop project and the Caribbean Investment Forum to be held locally in June. The PM will also hold security discussions with Stuart Levy on, US Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. Topics for discussions include counter terrorism strategies and anti-money laundering laws. The PM is also scheduled to deliver an address at the Brookings Institute in Washington on T&T's economy. The Institute is a non-profit public policy organisation and is ranked as the world's top think tank, Rambachan added.
The T&T delegation will address T&T nationals at Howard University as well. The PM will also hold talks with the UNDP on the new UNDP programme for T&T (2012 to 2015) concerning poverty eradication, security and other issues. Rambachan said T&T would host the third meeting of Ministers Responsible for Public Security in the Americas in November. This is aimed at securing hemispheric collaboration on initiatives and improving public security. He also said efforts are ongoing for T&T's Permanent Representative to the UN Rodney Charles to serve as vice president of the United Nations General Assembly at its 67th session (2012-2013).
'FLEXIBLE HOURS FOR WORKING WOMEN'
The Government intends pursuing policies to allow flexible working hours for women, Foreign Affairs Minister Suruj Rambachan said yesterday. In his statement to Parliament on the Prime Minister's Washington trip, Rambachan said the Government recognised the dual burden of women at home and in the workplace. He said plans were also in train to make it mandatory for all public and private enterprises to have private spaces available to nursing mothers.