Trinidad and Tobago is a twin-island nation situated in the southern Caribbean Sea, just off the coast of South America Known for its vibrant culture, diverse population and multi-faceted history, the country is a melting pot of ethnicities and traditions.

The economy of Trinidad and Tobago has grown substantially since its independence in 1962 and is largely driven by the oil and gas sector which accounts for over 30 percent of the gross domestic product and 80 percent of the country’s exports. In the 2020 Human Development Report, Trinidad and Tobago was ranked 67 of 187 countries as a high human development country. 

The Sustainable Development Goals have been made a policy priority in Trinidad and Tobago and its national development plan, Vision 2030 is directly aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. 

As the host country of the UNDP’s multi-country office for 4 countries, Trinidad and Tobago also hosts one of the 91 UNDP Accelerator Labs that exist globally. 

The UNDP’s history in Trinidad and Tobago has focused on supporting initiatives across a wide range of areas.  Our Country Program for the 2022 to 2026 period reflects initiatives in the following areas:

1. Building Economic Resilience and Shared Prosperity:- supporting efforts to transition to a more diversified and sustainable economy that supports inclusive and resilient economic growth. This includes initiatives such as:
   1. Facilitating dialogue on socio-economic policy development.
   2. Assistance with the adoption of inclusive digital strategies & solutions.
   3. Transitioning to green initiatives which consider energy efficiency and the use of renewable resources. 
   4. Strengthening human capital through investments in research, science and technology to achieve higher levels of economic productivity and innovation.
2. Promoting Equality and Well-being:- supporting equitable access to social protection, education and health care services.  This involves:
   1. Supporting national partners and stakeholders to improve their capacities to provide social protection programmes, consider food security issues and support health care centers with equipment and medical supplies.
3. Building resilience to climate change and natural resources management:- ensuring that communities and institutions have enhanced their adaptive capacity for inclusive, gender-responsive Disaster Risk Management and climate change adaptation and mitigation.  This involves programs such as:
   1. Enhancing national and community capacities and processes in disaster risk reduction, response and recovery.
   2. Supporting governments to improve their environment and natural resource management 
4. Peace, Safety, Justice and Rule of Law: Collaborating to ensure that regional and national laws, policies, systems and institutions improve access to justice and promote peace, social cohesion and security.  This involves:-
   1. Supporting State and non-state actors to improve their support of the prevention of and response to gender-based violence
   2. Supporting police, prosecutors and courts to improve access to justice by more effectively and efficiently managing criminal cases.
   3. Supporting rule of law institutions to strengthen citizen security
   4. Enhancing youth well-being and opportunities 

A copy of our Country Plan 2022 – 2026 can be found here.