MESSAGE FROM THE PARTNERS

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat and the Caribbean Development Bank (COB) present for the consideration of CARICOM citizens, the Regional Baseline Report for Phase One of the Implementation of the CARICOM Human Resource Development (HRD) 2030 Strategy. This report was endorsed by the Ministers of Education at the Thirty-Eighth Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development, which was held during the period October 23-24, 2019 in Georgetown, Guyana.

In July 2017, Heads of Government for CARICOM demonstrated their commitment to the principles of integration for development when they approved the implementation of the CARICOM Human Resource Development 2030 Strategy. The strategy is a roadmap for seamless quality educational delivery aimed at supporting sustainable economic resilience while maximising the potential of CARICOM citizens to contribute to the quality of life for themselves, their family, their nations and the CARICOM Region.

The Baseline Report highlights the readiness of CARICOM to monitor and report on the key performance indicators for Phase One of the Regional Action Plan which was approved at Council on Human and Social Development in 2018. More than a statement on how the region is performing across the Basic Education, Skills for Lifelong Learning and Tertiary Education sectors, the report is a demonstration of a regional good practice in educational collaboration, mentoring and capacity-building through the work of the Regional Network of Education Planning Officers.

As our citizens, stakeholders and international partners read the report, areas of national and regional strengths will be identified and areas where increased attention is needed will be articulated. Significantly, the recommendations present a clarion call for radical transformation in educational delivery and increased investments in education for development, to enable an adequate response to the economic, social, environmental and technological demands of the 21st Century.

The CARICOM Secretariat and COB are encouraged by the outcomes of this partnership; it promotes a paradigm shift for the region, in promoting evidence-based interventions that are monitored and evaluated for impact at the level of the citizenry. We look forward to receiving and sharing the annual reports from Member States as they report on the status of meeting the agreed regional targets.

Dr. Douglas Slater Assistant Secretary General Directorate of Human and Social Development CARICOM Secretariat

February 10, 2020

Ms. Monica La Bennett Vice President, Operations Caribbean Development Bank