50-in-5 Global Community Applauds Trinidad and Tobago’s Digital Leadership
Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago – Trinidad and Tobago has earned international recognition as a leading example of how countries can successfully implement Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), with global digital transformation initiative 50-in-5 praising the country’s achievements during the international webinar, “The Caribbean Catalyst: VerifyTT and the Next Generation of Public Services.”
Addressing participants from across the world, Jon Lloyd, Director of 50-in-5, described Trinidad and Tobago’s VerifyTT platform as proof that digital transformation is not reserved for large, resource-rich nations.
“Until just a few years ago, there was a belief that ground-breaking digital transformation was the exclusive domain of massive, resource-rich countries – but Trinidad and Tobago is flipping the script with the launch of VerifyTT”.
Lloyd noted that Trinidad and Tobago’s approach demonstrates how countries can rapidly build trusted, citizen-centred digital services by embracing open-source technologies, investing in local talent and avoiding vendor lock-in.
“It’s not merely a technical achievement. It’s proof that by taking an open-source first approach, bypassing vendor lock-ins, and investing in your people, you’ve managed to rapidly deploy a secure foundation for trust”.
Hosted by the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago through iGovTT, in partnership with 50-in-5, the webinar attracted policymakers, digital transformation leaders and technical experts from across the global 50-in-5 community to examine Trinidad and Tobago’s journey in developing VerifyTT, the country’s secure digital credential verification platform.
Lloyd stressed that the country’s experience extends well beyond the Caribbean, providing practical lessons for governments around the world seeking to modernise public services.
He encouraged governments participating in the 50-in-5 initiative to view Trinidad and Tobago’s experience as a practical blueprint for accelerating their own digital transformation efforts.
“Don’t just think about how this was built, but how you can take these actionable insights back to your own countries and contexts to continue to accelerate your digital transformation”.
The webinar showcased VerifyTT as a flagship example of Digital Public Infrastructure in action, demonstrating how secure, interoperable digital systems can improve service delivery, strengthen trust and create more efficient interactions between citizens and government.
Chairman of iGovTT, Ms. Ria Karim spoke on the importance of inclusion at the webinar highlighting, “Technology, especially from the Government’s perspective, and DPI in particular, is not about the actual systems. It is about the dignity of citizens; making sure that people feel seen, that they feel represented, they feel heard and their needs are recognized within the context of the way the government operates. We are therefore also speaking of inclusiveness; making sure that as we create technological solutions to enhance the delivery of government services, all persons in society, regardless of where they live, their socio-economic conditions, their technical capabilities, are taken into consideration and included from design to implementation”.
With representatives from 39 countries now participating in the 50-in-5 campaign, Trinidad and Tobago’s experience is increasingly being recognised as an example of how innovation, collaboration and strategic leadership can enable countries of any size to deliver world-class digital public services.
Speaking at the Webinar, Senator the Honourable Dominic Smith – Minister of Public
Administration and Artificial Intelligence in his closing remarks said, ‘As a Small Island Developing State, Trinidad and Tobago has never measured its ambition by the size of its geography. We have always measured it by the strength of our ideas, the resilience of our people and our willingness to lead.
If we continue to build trusted institutions, invest in our people and embrace innovation responsibly, then we will not simply participate in the future of digital government. We will help define it”.
The event formed part of Trinidad and Tobago’s continued efforts to position itself as a regional leader in digital transformation while contributing practical knowledge to the growing global Digital Public Infrastructure movement.
