Trinidad & Tobago

UN System

As the designated representative of the Secretary-General and team leader of the United Nations system organizations, the Resident Coordinator in a country assumes the overall responsibility for, and the coordination of, the operational activities for the development of the UN System at the country level.  

UN Reform

“While purposes should be firm and principles constant, practice and organization need to move with the times.  If the United Nations is to be a useful instrument for its Member States and for the world’s people, It must fully adapt to the needs and circumstances of the 21st Century”,  UN-Secretary General, Mr. Kofi Annan, In Larger Freedom, 2005.

In 1997, the UN-Secretary General Mr. Kofi Annan introduced a package of reforms aimed at improving and enhancing the United Nations, to create greater impact and improve the lives of millions. Since then a number of new initiatives have been introduced aimed at increasing the efficiency of the UN with its development partners.   Reform aims to achieve better impact through

• A holistic UN strategy and operations

• Streamlining operations for greater cost effectiveness

• Easing the burden for partner governments

• Lowering transaction costs

• Re-orienting UN support to prioritize national capacity

The Secretary General’s package of reforms has key components which have been endorsed by the General Assembly.  These are:

1. Harmonization and Simplification
2. More Efficient and Cost-Effective Coordination
3. Strengthened Coordination Capacity

The Office of the Resident Coordinator provides support to the Resident Coordinator, and the UN Country Team, facilitating day-to-day collaboration, joint initiatives, and implementation of the UN Programme for Reform.  The Office of the Resident Coordinator organizes monthly coordination meetings, ensures that pertinent information flows to all UN organizations operating within the Country Office, monitors the functioning of Theme/ Working Groups and, as a priority task, supports the CCA/ UNDAF preparation and follow-up processes as key instruments of the Secretary General’s programme for reform. 

The aim of the Resident Coordinator System is to enhance the coherence and impact of the activities of the United Nations for development. These objectives are achieved through a comprehensive planning process which includes preparation of Reports - Common Country Assessment (CCA), United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), Annual Reports - and collaboration with government on national priorities to determine the areas for strategic UN interventions in keeping with the country’s development agenda.  The overriding objective is to achieve greater levels of effectiveness and efficiency while harmonizing and simplifying the work of all UN agencies operating in the country.

Common Country Assessment (CCA) - 2002–2006; 2008-2011 

As part of his 1997 reform agenda to make the United Nations an effective and efficient institution for world peace and development in the 21st century, the Secretary-General stressed the strong inter-linkages between peace and security, poverty reduction and sustainable human development and the promotion and respect for human rights. In response to his call for the United Nations to articulate a coherent vision and strategy that allows for a unified approach towards common development goals, the Common Country Assessment (CCA) and the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) guidelines were initially issued in 1999 and have since been revised in keeping with experiences/ lessons learn from past programmes, to simplify and make the process more relevant. The current CCA for Trinidad and Tobago for the period 2008-2011.

United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) – 2002-2006; 2008-2011

The UNDAF is a common strategic framework for the operational activities of the United Nations System at the country level. The UNDAF provides a collective, coherent and integrated United Nations System response to national priorities and needs within the framework of the United Nations global commitments and goals. The UNDAF emerges from the analytical and collaborative effort of the CCA and is the foundation for United Nations system programmes of cooperation.  As UN organizations work towards achieving the objectives of UNDAF, it is anticipated that they would engage in joint programming, working together to achieve greater national impact.

Annual Reports of the UN Resident Coordinator in Trinidad and Tobago -  2003, 2004, 2005, 2006.

The Annual Report of the Resident Coordinator to the United Nations Development Group Office (UNDGO) highlights the major political and economic events which have taken place in the country of residence. From the UN perspective, RC annual reports narrate about the Harmonization and Simplification of procedures and programme cycles of UN Agencies at the country level. RC reports also present the Donor Coordination issues, in particular, activities of the diverse Theme Groups involving major local and international partners active in Trinidad and Tobago. 

Coordination Mechanisms

The main instruments for UN collaboration with respect to UN programming include monthly meetings of the UN Country Team and meetings of UN Theme Groups.  Theme Groups, also called Thematic Groups are organized as mechanisms to implement joint UN programmes and activities.   Other working groups include the UN Security Management Team (SMT) chaired by the UN Designated Official for Security which meets monthly to review and coordinate issues pertaining to the UN staff safety and security, medical evacuation, travel arrangements and the like.   Senior Administrative Officers comprise the Operations Management Team (OMT) and also meet monthly to discuss and streamline administrative/ operational procedures.  The office of the Resident Coordinator should provide support to both programme and administrative aspects of UN cooperation, with a primary focus on facilitating collaborative programming and implementation of the UN Programme for Reform.

The option remains open to establish Inter Agency/ Government working groups as necessary,  that convene on specific issues such as MDG reporting, preparation of CCA/ UNDAF or to meet with donors on broader UN issues, information exchange and policy dialogue.

Agencies that consist the Resident Coordinator System in Trinidad and Tobago: