The UN Resident Coordinator Office
The UN Resident Coordinator in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean
Mr. Didier Trebucq currently serves as the UN Resident Coordinator (RC) for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean states, where he leads the UN Sub-Regional Team for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, comprising Heads of 22 Agencies, Funds, and Programmes, to deliver on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development for all.
A French national, he has more than 20 years of experience in the development and humanitarian realm working with the United Nations and international NGOs.
Prior to his current role, he served as UNDP Country Director in Brazil, Deputy Resident Representative in both Peru and Guyana and Programme Officer and Team Leader for Crisis Prevention and Recovery with UNDP India. He is also a former Head of Delegation of the French Red Cross in Colombia and Ecuador, former Administrator of Doctors without Borders in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, and previously worked as an Executive in the private banking sector in France for five years.
Mr. Trebucq, a development economist, has a master’s degree in Sustainable Development (specialism in environmental economy) from Imperial College London and a Maitrise from the Institut Français de Gestion in Business Administration and Management. He is father to two sons.
The Resident Coordinator’s Office
As the highest-ranking representative of the Secretary-General at the country level, the Resident Coordinator leads the UN Sub-Regional Team for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean to “deliver as one” on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development for all.
System-wide global UN Reform, that became effective January 1, 2019, saw the strategic repositioning of the UN Development System to include the separation of the posts of UN Resident Coordinator and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative. The General Assembly Resolution 72/279 was geared to make the UN a more relevant and effective partner, through the leadership of an independent and empowered Resident Coordinator, equipped to deliver on the promise of a sustainable future for both people and planet.
Within this context, the Resident Coordinator Office supports joint programming and the coordination of development activities across the UN System, to maximise impact and reduce transaction costs for Governments, in response to national priorities and development challenges. These efforts support of the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals and other international commitments aimed at "leaving no one behind”.
The Multi-Country Sustainable Development Framework (MSDF) 2017-2021 serves as the framework for articulating the UN’s work in the region.
The Resident Coordinator’s Office – Multi Country Office
As a Multi-Country Office, the RCO, through the hub in Barbados, provides coordinated and strategic programming support through five core areas of expertise
1) Strategic Planning
2) Economics
3) Partnership and Development Finance
4) Data, Results Management Reporting
5) Communication and Advocacy.
In addition, the RCO is staffed with experts in the areas of Human Rights and Disaster Risk Preparedness and Response, along with other critical staff /associates. Effective January 2021, the RCO had a physical presence in the six Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) countries served by the Mission, with a country coordination officer located in each island, to support the RC and the UN team in providing tailored support and assistance to each country in support of national priorities and implementation of the SDGs.
Building on this, in 2022, Common Premises were established in two territories. On March 22, Antigua and Barbuda became the first OECS territory to open a UN Common Premises, housing three Agencies –FAO, UNDP, and UNICEF – and the UN Country Coordination Office, an extension of the Resident Coordinator Office. On September 9, the second Common Premises in the Eastern Caribbean was opened in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, housing the RCO Country Coordination Office, a UNICEF Programme Coordinator, and UN Women Project Coordination Analyst. Plans are underway for placement of additional personnel to better coordinate increasing in-country support to the Government and other stakeholders.
