10:30am Trinidad & Tobago
Hyatt IFC building, floor 6, conference room 2

Trinidad, 24 November: The Commonwealth HIV & AIDS Action Group is calling for the rejection of the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality private members bill by the Ugandan government and for the Commonwealth suspension of Uganda if the Anti-Homosexuality Bill is passed.
The proposed legislation calls for among other things the execution of all HIV positive homosexual men. It stigmatises and criminalises sexual minorities and people living with HIV in Uganda and is an abuse of fundamental human rights.

 
Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Patrick Manning said that while this country was “hit hard” by the global financial recession, his Government is committed to assisting its regional neighbours also affected by the crisis.

The Prime Minister was speaking at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2009’s first gala dinner on Tuesday 24th November, 2009.
 
Manning told attendees that although Trinidad and Tobago suffered a $7.5 billion deficit last year and an even higher deficit is projected for 2009, his Government has established a grant Petroleum Fund of approximately US$7 to $9 billion to aid other Caribbean countries that are particularly hard hit by the global recession.
 

MACE AND GOBLETS HERE FOR CHOGM

Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II is expected to arrive in Trinidad and Tobago to open the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting which commences on November 27th, 2009. However, arriving ahead of her, are some majestic symbols of the Commonwealth, in the form of the Mace and Goblets.

The 18 carat gold Commonwealth Mace was a gift to Her Majesty the Queen from the Royal Anniversary Trust in her role as Head of the Commonwealth, on the 40th Anniversary of her accession to the throne. The Royal Coat of Arms and the Commonwealth Symbol are prominently placed at the top of the Mace. The middle portion is adorned with enamelled flags of each of the Commonwealth nations.