The UN Resident Coordinator Office

The Resident Coordinator (RC) system encompasses all organizations of the United Nations system dealing with operational activities for development, regardless of their formal presence in the country. The RC system aims to bring together the different UN agencies to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of operational activities at the country level.

Coordinating development operations promotes more strategic support for national plans and priorities, makes operations more efficient and reduces transaction costs for governments. This helps the UN to be a more relevant and reliable partner for governments.

In Trinidad and Tobago, the Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO) supports the work of the UN Resident Coordinator and coordinates activities of the UN Country Team in its engagement with the Government. The RCO in Port-of-Spain is a Multi-Country Office (MCO), responsible for Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, Curacao and Sint Maarten. 

The Caribbean is currently implementing the Multi-Country Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for 2022-2026, a roadmap for the cooperation between the UN and the governments of the Caribbean for the next five years. This agreement outlines the development priorities for the Caribbean, and the ways in which the UN Country Teams can support governments in achieving these priorities.

Sint Maarten, Aruba and Curacao have already signed on to this agreement. 

The Resident Coordinator, Ms. Joanna Kazana, is leading and strategically positioning the United Nations Country Team to respond to the current national priorities. The RCO has five core functions:

• Strategic planning
• Economic development
• Partnerships and development finance
• Data, results management and reporting
• Communications and advocacy