Event Summary
On 7 August 2025, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar led a high-level meeting with UNDP officials, including Resident Representative Ugo Blanco, and key government representatives to outline a new strategic development partnership. Three major initiatives were announced:
- The proposed launch of a US$20 million Social High Impact Fund for Trinidad and Tobago (SHIFTT), aimed at supporting NGOs, CSOs, and SMEs.
- The announcement that Trinidad and Tobago will host the Latin America and Caribbean regional launch of the 2025 Human Development Report.
- A national youth empowerment platform targeting young people from vulnerable and rural communities.
The SHIFTT fund, developed in collaboration with key ministries, could expand financial access and sustainability for NGOs and CSOs, addressing longstanding under-resourcing of civic actors. The youth platform aims to strengthen leadership, resilience, and economic participation among marginalized youth, creating new avenues for civic inclusion. Meanwhile, by hosting the Human Development Report launch, Trinidad and Tobago positions itself as a regional development leader, with the potential to raise visibility for civil society contributions on the global stage.
While these initiatives represent a potentially transformative shift toward openness and partnership, civil society actors remain cautious given past challenges with sporadic state collaboration. If implemented transparently and inclusively, they could mark a structural improvement in the enabling environment by institutionalizing resource access, civic participation, and state–civil society dialogue.