In Progress

Who are we?

Our Team

What we do? 

ENERGY
Energy is a fundamental prerequisite for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Without access to reliable and affordable energy services, substantial social and economic development simply cannot occur. Access to energy services, be it lighting, power for industry, transportation, or whatever other use, is the key to development, creation of income generating activities and poverty reduction.  To reach MDG 7, conventional approaches to energy must be reoriented. The use of cleaner fuels and improvements in energy efficiency are important steps to cut down emissions of CO2 and address global climate change challenge.

UNDP´s Regional Office work on Energy for MDGs achievement
UNDP's efforts in energy for sustainable development support the achievement of the MDGs. UNDP’s activities focus on the upstream enabling environment and policies needed to support energy options for sustainable development addressing economic, social and environmental goals simultaneously. Downstream activities concentrate on integrated energy solutions addressing social, economic and environmental objectives to address poverty and promote sustainable development. Actions taken at the local level to promote sustainable energy options also support global sustainable development goals, generating win-win outcomes in environment and development. Through the implementation of the “Energy for MDGs achievement”, UNDP Regional Center in Port of Spain aims at working on four priority areas: strengthening national policy frameworks, promoting access to energy services in rural areas,
promoting clean energy technology, and increasing access to financing for energy services.

DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE PRACTICE AREA

Democratic governance is central to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), as it provides the ‘enabling environment’ for the realization of the MDGs and, in particular, the elimination of poverty. The critical importance of democratic governance in the context of development was highlighted at the Millennium Summit of 2000, where the world's leaders resolved to "spare no effort to promote democracy and strengthen the rule of law, as well as respect for all internationally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to development." World leaders recognized that improving the quality of democratic institutions and processes, and managing the changing roles of the state and civil society in an increasingly globalized world are pre-requisites to efforts to reduce poverty, sustain the environment, and promote human development.

In support to Democratic Governance, the Regional Service Centre – Port of Spain Office (RSC – PoS) established a governance thematic unit to provide technical and policy advice, research and knowledge sharing on global good practices. These services are provided to the five Country Offices in the region - Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago - and through them to the fifteen island states of the Caribbean. Additionally, the governance team provides technical backstopping, monitoring and evaluation expertise in the delivery of country-based activities, project design, assessments, implementation and evaluation; and deliver specific regionally focused activities to develop regional and national capacities and promote regional cooperation and coordination

The Democratic Governance work of the RC – PoS is supported through two iniciatives: i) Dialogue and Sensitisation Project to Promote Social Cohesion in the Caribbean – which aims to to identify the root causes of polarisation, and the citizen security challenges in the region, while at the same time set the stage for dialogue at the national level and empowering participants to highlight at the national level, the importance of the participation of all sectors in the society. ii) Enhancing Caribbean Capacities to design and implement sustainable citizen security programmes - This programme aims at bridging existing capacity gaps to address citizen security in the Caribbean region.

GENDER - A CROSS CUTTING AREA

Working toward equality between women and men is a central objective of the Millennium Development Goals. Goal #3 reaffirms an international commitment to gender equality, and governments’ promise to recognize the contributions that women make to economic development and the costs to societies of the multiple disadvantages that women face in nearly every country. 

The Regional Centre – Port-of-Spain Office acknowledges the importance of working toward achieving equality between men and women and ensures that a gender approach is incorporated in all projects and programmes managed. This is done by providing technical  and capacity development support and advice in gender mainstreaming in country offices practice areas, and also with key partners in a regional and local level.

HIV

In keeping with the published UNAIDS Action Framework: Universal Access for Men who have Sex with Men and Trans People in May 2009, UNDP’s Regional Sub-Centre in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago works to strengthen and contribute to UNDP’s Latin America and Caribbean regional HIV response.  While the centre’s emphasis is on HIV, Human Rights, Gender and Sexual Diversity we also address the following service areas: HIV, MDGs and Development Planning; and Governance of AIDS Responses.

The Regional Sub-Centre focuses on providing technical advice on policy, program development and mainstreaming; this is with aim of promoting the removal of key barriers that exist which denies and impedes the access to services and other drivers that influence human rights violations against Trans, MSM and Gays and other sexual diverse communities. 

In pursuit of supporting the overall UNDP’s Caribbean Regional response on HIV the centre supports the UNDP Guyana Country Office on its Sexual Minorities Project which focuses on the reduction of stigma and discrimination directed to sexual minorities.  The centre also supports UNDP’s partnership with the University of the West Indies Health Economics Unit as it implements the Tourism Research Project which seeks to investigate the nexus between HIV and Tourism in select English Speaking Caribbean countries.  In addition we are supporting the work of the UN Joint Team in Trinidad and Tobago.  Technical advisory services are also offered to the PANCAP/UNAID Vulnerable Groups Project as it tailors regional responses for sex workers. 

Over the next few years UNDP Regional Centre in Port of Spain will roll out regionally-based programmes on HIV.  The focus will not only be on the affected communities themselves but will also reach out to decision makers who structural dynamics and who are instrumental in influencing policy change; these individuals will include health service, judicial, law enforcement and media practitioners.