THE Strategic Plan for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), approved by CARICOM Heads at their 35th Regular Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda from July 1 to 4, identifies eight integrated Strategic priorities for the Community over the five-year period 2015 to 2019, and key areas of interventions for each.

The CARICOM Heads also endorsed the Secretary General’s top priorities for the next five-year period, and the arrangements to be put in place across the Region to enable implementation, taking into account both human and financial resource limitations across the implementing agents.

The priority areas of focus are:
* Accelerate implementation and use of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME);

* Introduce measures for macro-economic stabilisation;

* Build competitiveness, and unleash key economic drivers to transition to Growth and Generate Employment;
* Human Capital Development;

* Advance Health and Wellness;

* Enhance Citizens Security and Justice;

* Climate Adaptation and Mitigation, and Disaster Mitigation and Management;

* Develop the single, secure ICT space;
* Deepen Foreign Policy coordination (to support strategic repositioning of CARICOM and desired outcomes;

* Public Education, Public Information and Advocacy; and

* Reform of the CARICOM Secretariat, the organs, bodies, institutions and governance arrangements.

Additionally, the integrated strategic priorities are: Building economic resilience; social resilience; environmental resilience; technological resilience; strengthening the CARICOM Identity and Spirit of Community; and strengthening community governance, along with coordinated foreign policy and research and development and innovation.