PHILIPSBURG:--- In a follow up to previous Human Rights webinars held during the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of St. Martin (USM) and the Sint Maarten Anti-poverty Platform (SMAPP) will co-sponsor a virtual lecture on How to Address Workers’ and Human Rights Violations on Wednesday, 24 March 2021. The keynote speaker will be former Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labour (VSA) Mrs. Pamela Gordon Carty, who will address labour and human rights violations experienced throughout the pandemic and present options for remedying the local situation.
Since March 2020, Sint Maarten’s single pillar economy was hit badly by the COVID 19 pandemic. Many formal and informal jobs were lost, as travel bans were put in place to stop the spread of the virus. Schools and hotels were closed for months, and tens of thousands of workers have lost employment. According to the Red Cross, large segments of the population still depend on food donations from charities today, a year after the pandemic started.
“It is in this context that we will evaluate the state of labour rights and human rights for the employed and unemployed workers, seniors and pensioners in Sint Maarten”, said SMAPP Co-ordinator Raymond Jessurun. “Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, labour and human rights were never really respected. However, the pandemic contributed to an increase in the violation of workers’ rights and human rights in many countries in the world and also here in St. Martin. The United Nations has recommended all States and their political and economic leaders to safeguard human rights, which are guaranteed under treaties and conventions constituting international public law.”
In June 2020, USM and SMAPP held a full-day online webinar on the topic of human rights in the face of COVID-19. The purpose of the seminar was to create a space for dialogue to inform the community of the obligations of the State and its political and economic actors. Later, in October 2020, USM in partnership with the Dutch section of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ-NJCM) led a Kingdom-wide dialogue on the topic of Human Rights with participants from Curaçao, Aruba, the Netherlands, St. Martin, and the United States.
In an effort to contribute to the education of civil society in matters related to socio-economic development and human rights, USM continues to serve as that space for critical dialogue and discussion. Invited guest, Mrs. Gordon Carty will review national, state, and international spaces to present human rights violations and to claim respect for these rights.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, USM can host only a select number of representatives of the Chamber of Labour Unions and the Sint Maarten Seniors and Pensioners Association. Via Zoom Meeting ID: 822 0095 0604
Passcode: USM2021 and a live stream on Facebook, the members of these affiliated organizations and the public-at-large can follow the one and half hour lecture followed by a question-and-answer session open to viewer participation. The virtual lecture will begin promptly at 7:00 in the evening.
