Meeting the Millennium Development Goals in Trinidad and Tobago

The UN in Trinidad and Tobago has worked consistently with the Government and people of Trinidad and Tobago to monitor progress towards the MDGs.  Initiatives have included training of over one hundred (100) staff of different ministries in data management tools (DevInfo and REDATAM) which would facilitate MDG reporting; establishment of a national database, cTTInfo; determination of data requirements to update the existing draft MDG report (2004); and preparation of a comprehensive joint UN programme document, "Implementation of Support to Vision 2020 in Trinidad and Tobago" whose objectives include costing the implementation of MDGs and training an inter-ministerial team to undertake periodic MDG reporting.

The Global MDG Report 2009 was promoted via local media simultaneously with the gloabl launch.  

The origins of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) lie in the UN Millennium Declaration, which was adopted by 189 UN Member States in 2000.   The goals embody the efforts of the world community to achieve significant measurable improvements in people’s lives in the new century. This Declaration is consistent with the policy agenda of the Government which is to transform Trinidad and Tobago into developed country status by the year 2020, as expressed in its draft long term development plan, Vision 2020. The Eight MDGs: Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger   Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education   Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women   Goal 4: Reduce child mortality   Goal 5: Improve maternal health   Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases   Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability   Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development

An update on T&T progress in achieving the MDGs

Trinidad and Tobago registered its 13^th consecutive year of expansion in 2009.  The country is ranked ‘high’ on the UNDP Human Development Index (HDI), being placed 59 out of 177 countries.  The energy sector is the main engine of growth which is attributed to the performance of oil and gas exploration and also makes possible the availability of funds to finance the achievement of the MDGs.  In spite of its strong economic base, Trinidad and Tobago continues to be challenged with how to maintain favorable prospects for growth, job creation and poverty reduction in the face of exogenous factors such as a possible downturn in energy process.  A recently published study(2009) Survey of Living Conditions (2005) shows poverty estimates of 17%.

In 2002 UNDP supported the Government in localizing targets and relevant indicators within the framework of the MDGs.  This exercise in fact significantly informed the completion of the first draft MDG Baseline Report.   This work was subsequently integrated into the formulation of the long term development plan, Vision 2020 such that the latter’s achievement will be measured by the degree to which the MDGs are achieved. The annual report (Transformation in Progress 2007) of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago on the implementation of Vision 2020 was issued in 2007. It provides an account of the progress being made towards the achievement of specific targets identified in the Vision 2020 Operational Plan 2007 - 2010. Essentially, this represents the first step towards establishing a common framework for reporting on actions being taken across the public sector towards the achievement of specific outputs and outcomes consistent with Vision 2020.

UNDP therefore has continued to support a number of initiatives aimed at meeting the MDGs in Trinidad and Tobago.  They include:

·    Strengthening the database.    A thirty year old statistical database, Trindad and Tobago Today was discovered and modernized.   This will become an accessible web-based tool with over thirty years of data which can be used for analysis and reporting on MDGs.      

·     Collaborating with the Ministry of Social Development to drive the MDGs.   Through a very strong collaborative effort with the Ministry of Social Development, ministry leadership was achieved to take ownership of MDG 1.  This has laid the platform for stronger inter-ministerial collaboration for reporting on progress towards the MDGs as well as to develop relevant programmes to achieve these goals. 

·     MDG Advocacy – UNDP continues to promote the MDGs to different target groups.  A group of graduate students was prepare to participate in the global Model UN Assembly on MDGs in Geneva.  

 

Contributions of UNDP Trinidad and Tobago to MDG 3 can be found here.