MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE CONFERENCE OF HEADS OF GOVERNMENT OF CARICOM At the Thirty-Fifth Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government held in Antigua and Barbuda, which I had the honour to host and Chair, CARICOM Heads of Government approved the Community's five-year Strategic Plan. “The Caribbean Community Five-Year Strategic Plan 2015-2019: Repositioning CARICOM” is the first ever Plan of its kind for our Community. This Plan is the product of more than a year’s work, piloted by a group of committed CARICOM professionals who undertook widespread consultations throughout our Member States and Associate Members and who distilled from those interactions, as well as from research, the Strategic Priorities and supporting strategies to move our Community forward. This Plan has been devised at a time when threats to the sustainable development of our Region abound, be they financial, economic, social or environmental. Throughout our history, we have come up with solutions to defeat the most dire predictions and conquer the toughest challenges. In that regard, this Plan represents an essential strategic repositioning for our Community as we seek to secure our future in a rapidly changing and often hostile global environment. The best – indeed the only – way to do this is by enhancing our Resilience: economic, social, environmental and technological. That theme of Resilience is at the very heart of this Strategic Plan. Together, we can, and will, not only survive but thrive, by enhancing our collective capacity to achieve economic stability and growth, a better quality of life for our people and sustainable development. One of the enabling strategies in the Plan, Strengthening the CARICOM Identity and Spirit of Community, is one which I heartily endorse as an important element in the Plan’s success. It is that spirit of oneness that brings us all together in celebrating the achievements of our people; that binds us to be our brother’s keeper in the wake of natural disasters; and is now being called on to be brought to bear to assist in fulfilling the objectives and attaining the goals of this Strategic Plan. Let us all recommit ourselves to the further strengthening of our integration movement and in doing so, build a resilient Community that provides a safe and prosperous life for all its people. HONOURABLE GASTON BROWNE PRIME MINISTER OF ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA iii