Start date: 13 January 2025 
End date: 13 July 2026 
Status: Active / Inception Phase (resource mobilisation ongoing for full project scale-up) 
Project Office: UNDP Samoa Multi-Country Office (MCO), Apia, Samoa 
 

Brief description of Project

Tokelau, a nation of just under 1,700 people residing in three atolls situated about 500 km north of Samoa and only accessible by sea, is a non-self-governing territory administered by New Zealand since 1926. In practice, however, through a progressive transfer of authority and responsibility over the past decade, Tokelau is largely self-governing with a system of government based on traditional village leadership. It pursues increased self-determination in line with Article 73 of the UN Charter.  

The third Tokelau National Strategic Plan (TNSP) 2021-26, among other strategic goals, focuses on “strengthening governance and leadership”, by enabling the key governance institutions to make informed decisions that are transparent, documented, followed through, and reported; enhancing their understanding of their roles and responsibilities; strengthening the policy and legal framework; and enhancing governance and leadership capacities. The TNSP promotes a collaborative and inclusive approach that is anchored in six core principles, the Faka Tokelau (“Tokelauan Way”) values; integrity and equity; transparency and accountability; evidence-based decision-making; perseverance and resilience; and meaningful partnerships.  

In this context, the Tokelau Governance & Leadership Project was formulated through extensive consultations of national stakeholders and was endorsed by both Office of the Council for the Ongoing Government of Tokelau, and UNDP. Recognizing the ongoing process of resource mobilization to support the full-fledged Project, this Initiation Plan seeks to implement the Inception Phase of the Project focusing on significant prioritized activities under the Outputs 1 and 2, as well as the set-up of its governance structure and mechanism and project management, while additional resources are mobilized to support the full project.