| TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS Turks and Caicos Islands Turks and Caicos Islands (Overseas territory of the United Kingdom) Joined United Nations: 24 October 1945 Human Rights as assured by their constitution Click here Updated 07/19/10 |
| CAPITAL |
| POPULATION |
| CHIEF OF STATE |
| SELECTION PROCESS |
Grand Turk (Cockburn Town)
23,528 (July 2010 est.)
Elizabeth II of United Kingdom
Queen since 6 February 1952
Queen since 6 February 1952
The monarch is hereditary and holds that position for life or until
abdication. The Governor is appointed by the Queen.
Next scheduled election: None
abdication. The Governor is appointed by the Queen.
Next scheduled election: None
HEAD OF GOVERNMENT
SELECTION PROCESS
SUSPENDED
Galmore Williams
Premier since 24 March 2009
Galmore Williams
Premier since 24 March 2009
Appointed Prime Minister by the House of Assembly following
the resignation of Michael Misick. Following legislative
elections, the leader of the majority party is appointed premier
by the governor however a special election will be held in
October 2009 Elections: last held 9 February 2007;
NOTE: the office of premier has been suspended by the
Order in Council, effective 14 August 2009 and the British
Government assumed direct rule
Next scheduled election: July 2011
the resignation of Michael Misick. Following legislative
elections, the leader of the majority party is appointed premier
by the governor however a special election will be held in
October 2009 Elections: last held 9 February 2007;
NOTE: the office of premier has been suspended by the
Order in Council, effective 14 August 2009 and the British
Government assumed direct rule
Next scheduled election: July 2011
| DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS |
| ETHNIC GROUPS |
Black 90%, mixed, European, or North American 10%
| RELIGIONS |
Baptist 40%, Anglican 18%, Methodist 16%, Church of God 12%, other 14% (1990)
| GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE |
Overseas territory of the UK; No administrative divisions. Legal system is based on laws of England and Wales, with a
few adopted from Jamaica and The Bahamas
Executive: Monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the
majority party is appointed premier by the governor NOTE- the office of premier has been suspended by the Order in
Council, effective 14 August 2009 and the British Government assumed direct rule
Legislative: under provisions of the Order in Council, the unicameral House of Assembly is dissolved and all seats
vacated for a period of up to two years; in the interim, a Consultative Forum, appointed by the governor, will be
established
elections: last held on 9 February 2007 (next to be held by July 2011)
election results: under provisions of the Order in Council, all seats in the House of Assembly are vacated
Judicial: Supreme Court; Court of Appeal
few adopted from Jamaica and The Bahamas
Executive: Monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the
majority party is appointed premier by the governor NOTE- the office of premier has been suspended by the Order in
Council, effective 14 August 2009 and the British Government assumed direct rule
Legislative: under provisions of the Order in Council, the unicameral House of Assembly is dissolved and all seats
vacated for a period of up to two years; in the interim, a Consultative Forum, appointed by the governor, will be
established
elections: last held on 9 February 2007 (next to be held by July 2011)
election results: under provisions of the Order in Council, all seats in the House of Assembly are vacated
Judicial: Supreme Court; Court of Appeal
| LANGUAGES |
English (official)
| BRIEF HISTORY |
The first inhabitants of the Turks and Caicos Islands were Amerindians, first the Arawak people, who were, over the
centuries, gradually replaced by the warlike Carib. The first European to sight the islands was Spanish conquistador Juan
Ponce de León, who did so in 1512, though some historians claim that Guanahani, the native name of the island
Christopher Columbus called San Salvador on his 1492 voyage, is Grand Turk Island or East Caicos Island. Spanish
slavers frequently raided the islands, enslaving the Caribs of the islands. Only a year after first being discovered, the entire
archipelago was completely depopulated. During the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, the islands passed from Spanish, to
French, to British control, but none of the three powers ever established any settlements. From about 1690 to 1720,
pirates hid in the cays of the Turks and Caicos Islands, attacking Spanish treasure galleons en route to Spain from Cuba,
Hispaniola, and the Spanish possessions in Central America and Peru. The islands were not fully colonised until 1681,
when salt collectors from Bermuda built the first permanent settlement on Grand Turk Island (thought to be so named due
to the presence of cacti with, what appeared to them to be red fez-like structures on their tops, but this not likely to be
true, since the fez was unknown to Turkey before 1826). The salt collectors were drawn by the shallow waters around
the islands that made salt mining a much easier process than in Bermuda. They occupied the Turks only seasonally, for six
months a year, however, returning to Bermuda when it was no longer viable to rake salt. Their colonization established the
British dominance of the archipelago that has lasted into the present day. Huge numbers of trees were felled by the
Bermudians to discourage rainfall that would adversely affect the salt mining operation. This deforestation has yet to be
repaired. Most of the salt mined in the Turks and Caicos Islands was sold through Bermudian merchant houses on the
American seaboard, including in Newfoundland where it was used for preserving cod. The agricultural industry sprung up
in the islands in the late 1780s after 40 Loyalists arrived after the end of the American Revolution, primarily from Georgia
and South Carolina. Granted large tracts of land by the British government to make up for what they lost in the American
colonies, the Loyalists imported well over a thousand slaves and planted vast fields of cotton. Though in the short term
highly successful, the cotton industry quickly went into decline, with hurricanes and pests destroying many crops. Though
a few of the former cotton magnates changed to salt mining, just about every one of the original Loyalists had left the
islands by 1820, leaving their slaves to live a subsistence lifestyle through fishing and hunter-gathering. The islands
remained part of the Bahamas until 1848, when the inhabitants successfully petitioned to be made a separate colony under
the supervision of the governor of Jamaica. This arrangement proved to be a financial burden, and in 1873 the Turks and
Caicos Islands were annexed to Jamaica with a Commissioner and a Legislative Board. The islands remained a
dependency of Jamaica until 1959, when they received their own administration, although the governor of Jamaica
remained the governor of the islands. When Jamaica was granted independence from Britain in August 1962, the Turks
and Caicos Islands became a crown colony. From 1965 the governor of The Bahamas was also governor of the Turks
and Caicos Islands and oversaw affairs for the islands. When the Bahamas gained independence in 1973, the islands
received their own governor. The salt industry, along with small sponge and hemp exports, sustained the Turks and
Caicos Islands (only barely, however; there was little population growth and the economy stagnated) until in the 1960s
American investors arrived on the islands and funded the construction of an airstrip on Provo Island and built the
archipelago's first hotel, "The Third Turtle". A small trickle of tourists began to arrive, supplementing the salt economy.
Club Med set up a resort at Grace Bay soon after. In the 1980s, Club Med funded an upgrading of the airstrip to allow
for larger aircraft, and since then, tourism has been gradually on the increase. It is common for foreign couples to be
married in the Turks and Caicos Islands today. In 1980, the ruling pro-independence party, the People's Democratic
Movement, agreed with the British government that independence would be granted in 1982 if the PDM was reelected in
the elections of that year. The PDM lost the elections to the Progressive National Party, which supported continued
British rule. The PNP's leader, Norman Saunders, became chief minister, and won the 1984 elections. However, in 1985
Saunders and two associates were convicted in the USA on drug charges. The PNP emerged victorious from the
following by-elections, but on July 24, 1986, the governor dissolved the government and replaced it with an advisory
council after a report on allegations of arson and fraud found that the chief minister post-Saunders, Nathaniel Francis,
along with four other PNP officials were unfit to rule. Under the careful guidance of the governor and the advisory council,
a new constitution for the Turks and Caicos Islands was created and elections held in 1988, with the PDM winning by a
landslide, and Washington Misick becoming the new chief minister. A new constitution was adopted 19 July 2006. On 24
March 2009 Misick resigned as Britain prepared to assert control over the government and transfer executive power to
the governor partly in response to a governmental corruption scandal involving Misick. On 30 April 2009, the
Constitution of Turks and Caicos was partially suspended for up to two years .Following an investigation into allegations
of widespread corruption and misconduct within the Turks and Caicos Government, the UK foreign minister directed the
governor to bring into effect on 14 August 2009 an Order in Council suspending Ministerial government and the House of
Assembly, and imposing direct rule for a period of up to two years
Source: Wikipedia History of Turks and Caicos Islands; Caribbean Net News
centuries, gradually replaced by the warlike Carib. The first European to sight the islands was Spanish conquistador Juan
Ponce de León, who did so in 1512, though some historians claim that Guanahani, the native name of the island
Christopher Columbus called San Salvador on his 1492 voyage, is Grand Turk Island or East Caicos Island. Spanish
slavers frequently raided the islands, enslaving the Caribs of the islands. Only a year after first being discovered, the entire
archipelago was completely depopulated. During the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, the islands passed from Spanish, to
French, to British control, but none of the three powers ever established any settlements. From about 1690 to 1720,
pirates hid in the cays of the Turks and Caicos Islands, attacking Spanish treasure galleons en route to Spain from Cuba,
Hispaniola, and the Spanish possessions in Central America and Peru. The islands were not fully colonised until 1681,
when salt collectors from Bermuda built the first permanent settlement on Grand Turk Island (thought to be so named due
to the presence of cacti with, what appeared to them to be red fez-like structures on their tops, but this not likely to be
true, since the fez was unknown to Turkey before 1826). The salt collectors were drawn by the shallow waters around
the islands that made salt mining a much easier process than in Bermuda. They occupied the Turks only seasonally, for six
months a year, however, returning to Bermuda when it was no longer viable to rake salt. Their colonization established the
British dominance of the archipelago that has lasted into the present day. Huge numbers of trees were felled by the
Bermudians to discourage rainfall that would adversely affect the salt mining operation. This deforestation has yet to be
repaired. Most of the salt mined in the Turks and Caicos Islands was sold through Bermudian merchant houses on the
American seaboard, including in Newfoundland where it was used for preserving cod. The agricultural industry sprung up
in the islands in the late 1780s after 40 Loyalists arrived after the end of the American Revolution, primarily from Georgia
and South Carolina. Granted large tracts of land by the British government to make up for what they lost in the American
colonies, the Loyalists imported well over a thousand slaves and planted vast fields of cotton. Though in the short term
highly successful, the cotton industry quickly went into decline, with hurricanes and pests destroying many crops. Though
a few of the former cotton magnates changed to salt mining, just about every one of the original Loyalists had left the
islands by 1820, leaving their slaves to live a subsistence lifestyle through fishing and hunter-gathering. The islands
remained part of the Bahamas until 1848, when the inhabitants successfully petitioned to be made a separate colony under
the supervision of the governor of Jamaica. This arrangement proved to be a financial burden, and in 1873 the Turks and
Caicos Islands were annexed to Jamaica with a Commissioner and a Legislative Board. The islands remained a
dependency of Jamaica until 1959, when they received their own administration, although the governor of Jamaica
remained the governor of the islands. When Jamaica was granted independence from Britain in August 1962, the Turks
and Caicos Islands became a crown colony. From 1965 the governor of The Bahamas was also governor of the Turks
and Caicos Islands and oversaw affairs for the islands. When the Bahamas gained independence in 1973, the islands
received their own governor. The salt industry, along with small sponge and hemp exports, sustained the Turks and
Caicos Islands (only barely, however; there was little population growth and the economy stagnated) until in the 1960s
American investors arrived on the islands and funded the construction of an airstrip on Provo Island and built the
archipelago's first hotel, "The Third Turtle". A small trickle of tourists began to arrive, supplementing the salt economy.
Club Med set up a resort at Grace Bay soon after. In the 1980s, Club Med funded an upgrading of the airstrip to allow
for larger aircraft, and since then, tourism has been gradually on the increase. It is common for foreign couples to be
married in the Turks and Caicos Islands today. In 1980, the ruling pro-independence party, the People's Democratic
Movement, agreed with the British government that independence would be granted in 1982 if the PDM was reelected in
the elections of that year. The PDM lost the elections to the Progressive National Party, which supported continued
British rule. The PNP's leader, Norman Saunders, became chief minister, and won the 1984 elections. However, in 1985
Saunders and two associates were convicted in the USA on drug charges. The PNP emerged victorious from the
following by-elections, but on July 24, 1986, the governor dissolved the government and replaced it with an advisory
council after a report on allegations of arson and fraud found that the chief minister post-Saunders, Nathaniel Francis,
along with four other PNP officials were unfit to rule. Under the careful guidance of the governor and the advisory council,
a new constitution for the Turks and Caicos Islands was created and elections held in 1988, with the PDM winning by a
landslide, and Washington Misick becoming the new chief minister. A new constitution was adopted 19 July 2006. On 24
March 2009 Misick resigned as Britain prepared to assert control over the government and transfer executive power to
the governor partly in response to a governmental corruption scandal involving Misick. On 30 April 2009, the
Constitution of Turks and Caicos was partially suspended for up to two years .Following an investigation into allegations
of widespread corruption and misconduct within the Turks and Caicos Government, the UK foreign minister directed the
governor to bring into effect on 14 August 2009 an Order in Council suspending Ministerial government and the House of
Assembly, and imposing direct rule for a period of up to two years
Source: Wikipedia History of Turks and Caicos Islands; Caribbean Net News
| ECONOMIC OVERVIEW |
The Turks and Caicos economy is based on tourism, offshore financial services, and fishing. Most capital goods and
food for domestic consumption are imported. The US is the leading source of tourists, accounting for more than
three-quarters of the 175,000 visitors that arrived in 2004. Major sources of government revenue also include fees
from offshore financial activities and customs receipts.
Source: CIA World Factbook (select Turks and Caicos Islands)
food for domestic consumption are imported. The US is the leading source of tourists, accounting for more than
three-quarters of the 175,000 visitors that arrived in 2004. Major sources of government revenue also include fees
from offshore financial activities and customs receipts.
Source: CIA World Factbook (select Turks and Caicos Islands)
| POLITICAL CLIMATE |
With Bahamian independence, the islands received a separate governor in 1973. Although independence was agreed
upon for 1982, the policy was reversed and the islands are presently a British overseas territory. The islands adopted a
constitution on August 30, 1976, which is Constitution Day, the national holiday. The constitution was suspended in
1986, but restored and revised March 5, 1988. The territory's legal system is based on English common law, with a
small number of laws adopted from Jamaica and the Bahamas. Suffrage is universal for those over 18 years of age.
English is the official language. The death penalty was fully abolished on the Islands in 2002 when it was removed as a
penalty for piracy and treason. Turks and Caicos participates in the Caribbean Development Bank, is an associate in
Caricom, and maintains an Interpol sub-bureau. Defence is the responsibility of the United Kingdom. In December of
2004 the Turks and Caicos Islands sought to become a new associate member to the Association of Caribbean States.
On March 16, 2009 the Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands, Gordon Wetherell, in a broadcast to the nation,
announced that the constitution will be partially suspended for two years following receipt of the final Commission of
Inquiry report into government corruption, which is due on or before April 30, 2009.
On March 24, 2009 Prime Minister of the Turks and Caicos Islands resigned as Britain prepares to take administrative
control of the Caribbean territory. The Premier of the British dependency who has been at the centre of the corruption
probe into the ruling elite, said in a statement he was resigning to give way to a unified government. In August 2009, the
United Kingdom suspended the Turks and Caicos' self-government after allegations of ministerial corruption. The
prerogative of the ministerial government and the House of Assembly are vested in the islands' incumbent governor,
Gordon Wetherell, for a period of up to two years.
Source: Wikipedia: Politics of Turks and Caicos Islands
upon for 1982, the policy was reversed and the islands are presently a British overseas territory. The islands adopted a
constitution on August 30, 1976, which is Constitution Day, the national holiday. The constitution was suspended in
1986, but restored and revised March 5, 1988. The territory's legal system is based on English common law, with a
small number of laws adopted from Jamaica and the Bahamas. Suffrage is universal for those over 18 years of age.
English is the official language. The death penalty was fully abolished on the Islands in 2002 when it was removed as a
penalty for piracy and treason. Turks and Caicos participates in the Caribbean Development Bank, is an associate in
Caricom, and maintains an Interpol sub-bureau. Defence is the responsibility of the United Kingdom. In December of
2004 the Turks and Caicos Islands sought to become a new associate member to the Association of Caribbean States.
On March 16, 2009 the Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands, Gordon Wetherell, in a broadcast to the nation,
announced that the constitution will be partially suspended for two years following receipt of the final Commission of
Inquiry report into government corruption, which is due on or before April 30, 2009.
On March 24, 2009 Prime Minister of the Turks and Caicos Islands resigned as Britain prepares to take administrative
control of the Caribbean territory. The Premier of the British dependency who has been at the centre of the corruption
probe into the ruling elite, said in a statement he was resigning to give way to a unified government. In August 2009, the
United Kingdom suspended the Turks and Caicos' self-government after allegations of ministerial corruption. The
prerogative of the ministerial government and the House of Assembly are vested in the islands' incumbent governor,
Gordon Wetherell, for a period of up to two years.
Source: Wikipedia: Politics of Turks and Caicos Islands
| INTERNATIONAL DISPUTES |
None reported.
| REFUGEES AND INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS (IDP) |
Have received Haitians fleeing economic and civil disorder
| ILLICIT DRUGS |
Transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe
| HUMAN RIGHTS STATEMENTS, ANALYSIS AND CRITIQUES |
DRUG INTERDICTION PROGRAMS
THE CARIBBEAN
13 March 2007
The Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the United States are partners in “Operation Bahamas and Turks and Caicos
(OPBAT),” an international, multi-agency drug interdiction effort that has reduced the amount of cocaine destined for the U.S. that
passes through The Bahamas from nearly 80 percent in the 1980’s to under 10 percent today. Program participants cooperate in
missions against suspected drug traffickers and frequently undertake search and seizure operations. Although the interdiction of
illegal migrants is not a specific mandate of OPBAT, drugs and illegal migrants often are linked, and therefore OPBAT helps disrupt
migrant trafficking. In 2005, the U.S. and The Bahamas interdicted more than 4,000 illegal migrants. International Narcotics
Control and Law Enforcement (INCLE) funding provides operational support, training and equipment for Bahamian drug
enforcement operations and investigations. INCLE funding also supports go-fast interceptor boats provided to the Bahamian police,
contributes to the operation of three OPBAT facilities in The Bahamas, and supports legislative and policy reform to enhance the
effectiveness of the Bahamian government in combating narcotics trafficking.
Click here to read more »
THE CARIBBEAN
13 March 2007
The Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the United States are partners in “Operation Bahamas and Turks and Caicos
(OPBAT),” an international, multi-agency drug interdiction effort that has reduced the amount of cocaine destined for the U.S. that
passes through The Bahamas from nearly 80 percent in the 1980’s to under 10 percent today. Program participants cooperate in
missions against suspected drug traffickers and frequently undertake search and seizure operations. Although the interdiction of
illegal migrants is not a specific mandate of OPBAT, drugs and illegal migrants often are linked, and therefore OPBAT helps disrupt
migrant trafficking. In 2005, the U.S. and The Bahamas interdicted more than 4,000 illegal migrants. International Narcotics
Control and Law Enforcement (INCLE) funding provides operational support, training and equipment for Bahamian drug
enforcement operations and investigations. INCLE funding also supports go-fast interceptor boats provided to the Bahamian police,
contributes to the operation of three OPBAT facilities in The Bahamas, and supports legislative and policy reform to enhance the
effectiveness of the Bahamian government in combating narcotics trafficking.
Click here to read more »
20 October 2008
COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD
Forty-ninth session
CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS SUBMITTED BY STATES PARTIES UNDER ARTICLE 44 OF THE CONVENTION
Concluding observations:
UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
C. Main areas of concern and recommendations
Adolescent health
60. While noting the efforts undertaken by the State party in the areas which affect adolescents, the Committee remains concerned
at the high rate of teenage pregnancies, especially among girls from a lower socio-economic background and in the Overseas
Territories, in particular Turks and Caicos.
61. The Committee recommends that the State party intensify its efforts in order to provide adolescents with appropriate
reproductive health services, including reproductive health education, in school.
Administration of juvenile justice
77. The Committee is concerned that:
(i) Children deprived of liberty in Turks and Caicos, may end up in detention in Jamaica, due to the lack of detention facilities for
children.
Click here to read more »
COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD
Forty-ninth session
CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS SUBMITTED BY STATES PARTIES UNDER ARTICLE 44 OF THE CONVENTION
Concluding observations:
UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
C. Main areas of concern and recommendations
Adolescent health
60. While noting the efforts undertaken by the State party in the areas which affect adolescents, the Committee remains concerned
at the high rate of teenage pregnancies, especially among girls from a lower socio-economic background and in the Overseas
Territories, in particular Turks and Caicos.
61. The Committee recommends that the State party intensify its efforts in order to provide adolescents with appropriate
reproductive health services, including reproductive health education, in school.
Administration of juvenile justice
77. The Committee is concerned that:
(i) Children deprived of liberty in Turks and Caicos, may end up in detention in Jamaica, due to the lack of detention facilities for
children.
Click here to read more »
No Reports from Freedom House mentioning Turks and Caicos Islands after exhaustive search of their database. Please
forward any information you may have regarding Freedom House efforts on behalf of Turks and Caicos Islands to the
Pax Gaea World Report editor at the link below
Contact the editor »
forward any information you may have regarding Freedom House efforts on behalf of Turks and Caicos Islands to the
Pax Gaea World Report editor at the link below
Contact the editor »
Summit of the Americas fails to address human rights
Fifth Summit of the Americas
20 April 2009
The fifth Summit of the Americas has failed to recognize that human rights must be placed at the centre of efforts to confront the
many fundamental challenges facing the region.
Governments from every country in the Americas, except for Cuba, took part in the four-yearly meeting held in Port of Spain,
Trinidad and Tobago, between 17 and 19 April.
The 34 heads of state and government discussed the Summit's three principal themes: human prosperity, energy security and
environmental sustainability.
The Declaration of Commitment of Port of Spain was adopted by consensus at the close of the Summit on 19 April. Based on the
three themes, the Declaration fails to lay out a clear human rights framework for progress in these areas.
A number of governments, including Venezuela, Bolivia, Nicaragua and Honduras, indicated that they were not prepared to formally
sign the Declaration. Leaders agreed to instead adopt it by consensus and have Trinidadian Prime Minister Manning sign on behalf
of all leaders.
The governments that had registered objections did not feel that the Declaration deals adequately with the current global economic
crisis. They also wanted to see strong references to the issue of Cuba's reintegration into Organization of American States (OAS)
and the lifting of the US embargo against Cuba.
Amnesty International delegates at the Summit urged the governments of the region to make a firm commitment to ensuring that all
measures taken in response to the current global economic crisis fully conform to their human rights obligations. But the
recognition in the Declaration of the responsibility governments have to address the crisis does not acknowledge human rights at all.
Click here to read more »
Fifth Summit of the Americas
20 April 2009
The fifth Summit of the Americas has failed to recognize that human rights must be placed at the centre of efforts to confront the
many fundamental challenges facing the region.
Governments from every country in the Americas, except for Cuba, took part in the four-yearly meeting held in Port of Spain,
Trinidad and Tobago, between 17 and 19 April.
The 34 heads of state and government discussed the Summit's three principal themes: human prosperity, energy security and
environmental sustainability.
The Declaration of Commitment of Port of Spain was adopted by consensus at the close of the Summit on 19 April. Based on the
three themes, the Declaration fails to lay out a clear human rights framework for progress in these areas.
A number of governments, including Venezuela, Bolivia, Nicaragua and Honduras, indicated that they were not prepared to formally
sign the Declaration. Leaders agreed to instead adopt it by consensus and have Trinidadian Prime Minister Manning sign on behalf
of all leaders.
The governments that had registered objections did not feel that the Declaration deals adequately with the current global economic
crisis. They also wanted to see strong references to the issue of Cuba's reintegration into Organization of American States (OAS)
and the lifting of the US embargo against Cuba.
Amnesty International delegates at the Summit urged the governments of the region to make a firm commitment to ensuring that all
measures taken in response to the current global economic crisis fully conform to their human rights obligations. But the
recognition in the Declaration of the responsibility governments have to address the crisis does not acknowledge human rights at all.
Click here to read more »
V. Findings of Human Rights Watch’s Investigation
November 2004
Offences against the Person Act, sections 76, 79. Caribbean states in the British Commonwealth inherited similar penal codes from
the British colonial administration, some of which have since been amended or nullified. For example, Bahamian law proscribes
consensual same sex sexual activity between adults in public but not in private. Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Act of the
Bahamas, section 16(2)(b). Jamaican and Guyanese laws are silent on lesbianism, while all acts of homosexuality are illegal in
Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and St. Lucia. “Sodomy Laws in the Carribbean,” http://www.sodomylaws.org/world/caribbean.
htm (retrieved November 3, 2004). In 2000, Britain issued an order repealing sodomy laws in its Overseas Territories, which it had
to do to meet its own international treaty obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights and the International
Convention on Civil and Political Rights. This order affected laws in Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands,
Montserrat, and the Turks and Caicos Islands. “U.K. Ends Territories’ Sodomy Laws,” PlanetOut, December 22, 2000. Prime
Minister P.J. Patterson’s opposition to foreign intervention to repeal Jamaican sodomy laws is ironic, as it is not the same-sex
behavior, but the laws that prohibit it, that are the colonial imposition.
Click here to read more »
November 2004
Offences against the Person Act, sections 76, 79. Caribbean states in the British Commonwealth inherited similar penal codes from
the British colonial administration, some of which have since been amended or nullified. For example, Bahamian law proscribes
consensual same sex sexual activity between adults in public but not in private. Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Act of the
Bahamas, section 16(2)(b). Jamaican and Guyanese laws are silent on lesbianism, while all acts of homosexuality are illegal in
Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and St. Lucia. “Sodomy Laws in the Carribbean,” http://www.sodomylaws.org/world/caribbean.
htm (retrieved November 3, 2004). In 2000, Britain issued an order repealing sodomy laws in its Overseas Territories, which it had
to do to meet its own international treaty obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights and the International
Convention on Civil and Political Rights. This order affected laws in Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands,
Montserrat, and the Turks and Caicos Islands. “U.K. Ends Territories’ Sodomy Laws,” PlanetOut, December 22, 2000. Prime
Minister P.J. Patterson’s opposition to foreign intervention to repeal Jamaican sodomy laws is ironic, as it is not the same-sex
behavior, but the laws that prohibit it, that are the colonial imposition.
Click here to read more »
TURKS AND CAICOS GOVERMENT TIMES
Volume 1- Jan to Apr 2010
1. SUSPENSION OF THE CONSTITUTION AND OTHER KEY CHANGES
Following the decision in the Court of Appeal in London on 12th August and acting on the instructions of the UK Ministers,
Governor Gordon Wetherell on August 14th, 2009 signed a proclamation, which brought into force the Order in Council
suspending parts of the Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution.
This suspension brought several changes to the Turks and Caicos Islands Government. One major change was the establishment of
an Interim Government and the removal of Ministers heading Ministries and Departments in the Public Service. There was also the
appointment of a Chief Executive, Mr. Martin Stanley to Head the Public Service, who was later replaced by Mr.Mark Capes .Mr.
Capes, a career diplomat, is no stranger to the Turks and Caicos Islands having served as Deputy Chief Secretary in Providenciales
from 1991 - 1994. He has visited on several occasions and since then, most recently in September 2008 when he came to the
islands, the day before Hurricane Ike struck to assist the Governor in managing the immediate aftermath of Ike’s impact.
Click here to read more »
Volume 1- Jan to Apr 2010
1. SUSPENSION OF THE CONSTITUTION AND OTHER KEY CHANGES
Following the decision in the Court of Appeal in London on 12th August and acting on the instructions of the UK Ministers,
Governor Gordon Wetherell on August 14th, 2009 signed a proclamation, which brought into force the Order in Council
suspending parts of the Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution.
This suspension brought several changes to the Turks and Caicos Islands Government. One major change was the establishment of
an Interim Government and the removal of Ministers heading Ministries and Departments in the Public Service. There was also the
appointment of a Chief Executive, Mr. Martin Stanley to Head the Public Service, who was later replaced by Mr.Mark Capes .Mr.
Capes, a career diplomat, is no stranger to the Turks and Caicos Islands having served as Deputy Chief Secretary in Providenciales
from 1991 - 1994. He has visited on several occasions and since then, most recently in September 2008 when he came to the
islands, the day before Hurricane Ike struck to assist the Governor in managing the immediate aftermath of Ike’s impact.
Click here to read more »
TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS COMMISSION OF INQUIRY
INTO POSSIBLE CORRUPTION OR OTHER SERIOUS DISHONESTY IN RECENT YEARS OF PAST AND PRESENT
ELECTED MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE
TCI Commission of Inquiry – Press Statement 18th July 2009
His Excellency the Governor has today, at 14.00 BST, published his redacted version of my Report into governmental corruption
submitted to him on 31st May 2009. The Governor's redaction results from the direction of the Hon Chief Justice Gordon Ward in
the current litigation between Mario Hoffmann and Cem Kinay against the Governor and me (and an assurance given by the Hon
Attorney General in
proceedings brought by Jak Civre). Copies of the redacted Report and the Governor's Press Statement are available on this web-
site, here.
Click here to read more »
INTO POSSIBLE CORRUPTION OR OTHER SERIOUS DISHONESTY IN RECENT YEARS OF PAST AND PRESENT
ELECTED MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE
TCI Commission of Inquiry – Press Statement 18th July 2009
His Excellency the Governor has today, at 14.00 BST, published his redacted version of my Report into governmental corruption
submitted to him on 31st May 2009. The Governor's redaction results from the direction of the Hon Chief Justice Gordon Ward in
the current litigation between Mario Hoffmann and Cem Kinay against the Governor and me (and an assurance given by the Hon
Attorney General in
proceedings brought by Jak Civre). Copies of the redacted Report and the Governor's Press Statement are available on this web-
site, here.
Click here to read more »
23 June 2010
Turks & Caicos All Party Commission Chairman Updates UN on Status of Constitutional Restoration
Address to the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonisation
by Wendal Swann
Chairman of the All-Party Commission on the Constitution and Electoral Reform
Turks and Caicos Islands
General Assembly Hall, United Nations Building
New York
Mr. Chairman, on behalf of the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands who are aware of the work your committee does on our
behalf, please be assured of our gratitude for that work. I recognise that we do not provide sufficient support or information to
assist you in that work. And so I pledge that from today, in the absence of any official designation of a representative of the
Islands, if you desire, beyond the scope of my mandate here today, I would be a permanent point of contact for the Committee in
regard to the issues surrounding the Turks and Caicos Islands.
My initial exposure to the working of the United Nations was the 1992 seminar in Bridgetown, Barbados. Being ignorant of
proceedings, I had intended just to observe. There was an English professor there who spoke as an expert on the Turks and Caicos
Islands. The professor had never visited the Islands, but was a voice acceptable to the functionaries at the Foreign &
Commonwealth Office in London. After listening to the professor, I had to speak up to complain about the number of factual
inaccuracies in his presentation. I said then, that Turks and Caicos Islanders were fed up with the so-called experts on the Turks
and Caicos Islands who knew nothing of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
I fear that we are in fact back there again. We see much in the epistles concerning the Turks and Caicos Islands on the internet that
are incorrect; that are written by persons who either know nothing about the Turks and Caicos Islands or are deliberately
misleading their audience. And so I hope that I will bring some balance to the reports this Committee might have received as
regards the Turks and Caicos Islands and specifically as they relate to the suspension of the constitution.
207 months ago I came to this building and addressed the Subcommittee on Small Territories. I left with that subcommittee a
report I had compiled on the conditions in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Much of that report remains relevant today. I can reprint it
without too much editing and it would be as true today as when I wrote it in 1993. The central theme of the report was the neglect
of the Islands by the administering power, the UK Government. Of course, the world economic downturn has affected us in the
Turks and Caicos Islands as well. Many Belonger businesses will close before the end of the year. But this is not just the natural
and inevitable result of the world economic crisis.
We have a few problems as a result of the current constitutional state of affairs, where our Governor is in fact a constitutional
dictator. You are well aware of the decision of Her Majesty’s Government, effected last year, which suspended parts of the
Constitution of the Turks and Caicos Islands and concentrated all authority in the Islands in the hands of just one man.
The committee would be aware that there would have been constitutional crises in what are now known as the ‘developed
countries’. Notwithstanding those crises and regardless of the causes of those crises, none of those countries suffered the
suspension of their constitutions. So the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands are asking, “what parts of our Constitution failed?”
And no one has answered that question; not the Governor, not the visiting delegations from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in
London, not the members of the Advisory Council or the Consultative Forum.
Sir Robin Auld, former Chief Justice in the Turks and Caicos Islands was appointed by HMG to conduct a Commission of inquiry
into possible corruption on the part of Ministers and Members of the Legislature in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Before he
concluded his report, he recommended that the Constitution be suspended. But in the section setting out the reasons for the
appointment of his Commission, he did not offer one constitutional failure. He cited inappropriate activities by Turks and Caicos
Islands’ Ministers, weakness of the Governor, indifference of the functionaries at the FCO and general neglect by the British
Government; all of which in the opinion of the Commission, could have been remedied without the suspension of the Constitution.
HMG has now ordered a review of the Constitution and electoral processes of the Turks and Caicos Islands. It appears that they
have already decided what the new Constitution would look like. They have appointed Ms Kate Sullivan, an “expert”, to run the
consultation with the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Governor Wetherell announced that the process will not involve
negotiation. I have been told that Ms Sullivan has made reference to certain provisions of the Constitution that will ‘definitely be
changed’. The process of consultation then, would appear to be more a sham than anything reliable. Ms Sullivan excludes the
media from her meetings.
If this process was allowed to stand without challenge, its acceptance by the British Government as legitimate consultation with the
people of the Islands will nullify our voices. So, the leaders of the political parties in the Islands, recognizing the danger of the
circumstances and appreciating the desire of the British functionaries to reduce the influence of political parties in the Islands and
having come together in March to call for a return of democratically elected government, thought to appoint an independent
Commission to seek the views of the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The Commissioners are: Mrs. Cheryl Astwood-Tull, LLB, University of Hertfordshire in England, former member of the Legislative
Council, youngest woman to have stood for election to the Legislature in the Turks and Caicos Islands, first woman elected to the
Legislature representing Providenciales, represented the Turks and Caicos Islands on behalf of women and children at the
Conference on Women in Beijing, China, Former Deputy Chairman of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Steering
Committee and a Public Relations Professional; Mr. Clayton Been, officer of the Turks and Caicos Islands Investment Agency; Mr.
Beryn Duncanson, attorney/real estate developer; Pastor Conrad Howell, former Public Service Commissioner and advisor to
Government.
The Commission is asked to consult the people of the islands as to their views on the Constitution as well as their ideas for the
improvement of the system of elections we enjoy in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The Commission is only half way through its
public meeting stage of its consultation process, but already it is clear to the Commission that the view of the majority of those
giving their input so far is that the constitution has not failed us and therefore, there was no need to suspend the Constitution.
The Governor announced the appointment of a Team Leader, but he has never announced the appointment of the rest of the team.
It appears from certain public pronouncements made by different persons connected with the suspension, that certain decisions
have already been made. The Governor has said that after the elections in 2011, there will be greater British presence in the islands.
This without consultation with the people of the Islands. Ms Sullivan has announced that certain provisions in the 2006 Constitution
definitely will change. This before she started the process of her consultation with the people of the Islands.
By stating that there will be greater British presence in the islands post election, the powers that be admit that the British
functionaries in the Islands were weak. And if the weakness was the fault of the British, why ought the people of the Turks and
Caicos Islands now pay the price?
Click here to read more »
Turks & Caicos All Party Commission Chairman Updates UN on Status of Constitutional Restoration
Address to the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonisation
by Wendal Swann
Chairman of the All-Party Commission on the Constitution and Electoral Reform
Turks and Caicos Islands
General Assembly Hall, United Nations Building
New York
Mr. Chairman, on behalf of the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands who are aware of the work your committee does on our
behalf, please be assured of our gratitude for that work. I recognise that we do not provide sufficient support or information to
assist you in that work. And so I pledge that from today, in the absence of any official designation of a representative of the
Islands, if you desire, beyond the scope of my mandate here today, I would be a permanent point of contact for the Committee in
regard to the issues surrounding the Turks and Caicos Islands.
My initial exposure to the working of the United Nations was the 1992 seminar in Bridgetown, Barbados. Being ignorant of
proceedings, I had intended just to observe. There was an English professor there who spoke as an expert on the Turks and Caicos
Islands. The professor had never visited the Islands, but was a voice acceptable to the functionaries at the Foreign &
Commonwealth Office in London. After listening to the professor, I had to speak up to complain about the number of factual
inaccuracies in his presentation. I said then, that Turks and Caicos Islanders were fed up with the so-called experts on the Turks
and Caicos Islands who knew nothing of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
I fear that we are in fact back there again. We see much in the epistles concerning the Turks and Caicos Islands on the internet that
are incorrect; that are written by persons who either know nothing about the Turks and Caicos Islands or are deliberately
misleading their audience. And so I hope that I will bring some balance to the reports this Committee might have received as
regards the Turks and Caicos Islands and specifically as they relate to the suspension of the constitution.
207 months ago I came to this building and addressed the Subcommittee on Small Territories. I left with that subcommittee a
report I had compiled on the conditions in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Much of that report remains relevant today. I can reprint it
without too much editing and it would be as true today as when I wrote it in 1993. The central theme of the report was the neglect
of the Islands by the administering power, the UK Government. Of course, the world economic downturn has affected us in the
Turks and Caicos Islands as well. Many Belonger businesses will close before the end of the year. But this is not just the natural
and inevitable result of the world economic crisis.
We have a few problems as a result of the current constitutional state of affairs, where our Governor is in fact a constitutional
dictator. You are well aware of the decision of Her Majesty’s Government, effected last year, which suspended parts of the
Constitution of the Turks and Caicos Islands and concentrated all authority in the Islands in the hands of just one man.
The committee would be aware that there would have been constitutional crises in what are now known as the ‘developed
countries’. Notwithstanding those crises and regardless of the causes of those crises, none of those countries suffered the
suspension of their constitutions. So the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands are asking, “what parts of our Constitution failed?”
And no one has answered that question; not the Governor, not the visiting delegations from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in
London, not the members of the Advisory Council or the Consultative Forum.
Sir Robin Auld, former Chief Justice in the Turks and Caicos Islands was appointed by HMG to conduct a Commission of inquiry
into possible corruption on the part of Ministers and Members of the Legislature in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Before he
concluded his report, he recommended that the Constitution be suspended. But in the section setting out the reasons for the
appointment of his Commission, he did not offer one constitutional failure. He cited inappropriate activities by Turks and Caicos
Islands’ Ministers, weakness of the Governor, indifference of the functionaries at the FCO and general neglect by the British
Government; all of which in the opinion of the Commission, could have been remedied without the suspension of the Constitution.
HMG has now ordered a review of the Constitution and electoral processes of the Turks and Caicos Islands. It appears that they
have already decided what the new Constitution would look like. They have appointed Ms Kate Sullivan, an “expert”, to run the
consultation with the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Governor Wetherell announced that the process will not involve
negotiation. I have been told that Ms Sullivan has made reference to certain provisions of the Constitution that will ‘definitely be
changed’. The process of consultation then, would appear to be more a sham than anything reliable. Ms Sullivan excludes the
media from her meetings.
If this process was allowed to stand without challenge, its acceptance by the British Government as legitimate consultation with the
people of the Islands will nullify our voices. So, the leaders of the political parties in the Islands, recognizing the danger of the
circumstances and appreciating the desire of the British functionaries to reduce the influence of political parties in the Islands and
having come together in March to call for a return of democratically elected government, thought to appoint an independent
Commission to seek the views of the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The Commissioners are: Mrs. Cheryl Astwood-Tull, LLB, University of Hertfordshire in England, former member of the Legislative
Council, youngest woman to have stood for election to the Legislature in the Turks and Caicos Islands, first woman elected to the
Legislature representing Providenciales, represented the Turks and Caicos Islands on behalf of women and children at the
Conference on Women in Beijing, China, Former Deputy Chairman of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Steering
Committee and a Public Relations Professional; Mr. Clayton Been, officer of the Turks and Caicos Islands Investment Agency; Mr.
Beryn Duncanson, attorney/real estate developer; Pastor Conrad Howell, former Public Service Commissioner and advisor to
Government.
The Commission is asked to consult the people of the islands as to their views on the Constitution as well as their ideas for the
improvement of the system of elections we enjoy in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The Commission is only half way through its
public meeting stage of its consultation process, but already it is clear to the Commission that the view of the majority of those
giving their input so far is that the constitution has not failed us and therefore, there was no need to suspend the Constitution.
The Governor announced the appointment of a Team Leader, but he has never announced the appointment of the rest of the team.
It appears from certain public pronouncements made by different persons connected with the suspension, that certain decisions
have already been made. The Governor has said that after the elections in 2011, there will be greater British presence in the islands.
This without consultation with the people of the Islands. Ms Sullivan has announced that certain provisions in the 2006 Constitution
definitely will change. This before she started the process of her consultation with the people of the Islands.
By stating that there will be greater British presence in the islands post election, the powers that be admit that the British
functionaries in the Islands were weak. And if the weakness was the fault of the British, why ought the people of the Turks and
Caicos Islands now pay the price?
Click here to read more »
Represented by
Gordon Wetherell
Governor since 5 August 2008
Gordon Wetherell
Governor since 5 August 2008
| Click map for larger view |
| Click flag for Country Report |
| TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS |
None reported.
Represented by
Gordon Wetherell
Head of Government since 14 August 2009
Gordon Wetherell
Head of Government since 14 August 2009