Enhancing social resilience is an essential element of CARICOM’s thrust to build “A Community for All”.  To this end, sustained human and social development with reduced levels of poverty, equitable access and significant improvement of citizen security underlie the essence of the work of the Directorate of Human and Social Development of the CARICOM Secretariat.  To achieve the desired Community goals, the Directorate collaborates with a variety of stakeholders including Community Institutions, Civil Society, centres of higher education, regional and multilateral institutions and agencies to generate evidenced based information on which to provide sound policy guidance and the basis for advocacy by regional governments. In this regard, its programmes and activities are identified below.

Sustainable Development:

• Sustainable Development
• Environment
• Human Development

Human Resource Development

• Education
• Sport Development

Labour

Culture and Community Development

• Culture
• Gender and Development
• Youth Development

Health Sector Development
Crime and Security

CARICOM’s response to HIV and AIDS epidemic through the Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP) also falls within the ambit of this Directorate.

In carrying out its functions in pursuit of the Community’s goal, the Directorate:

1. facilitates the coordination and harmonization of human and sustainable development policies and systems to improve the quality and competitiveness of [institutions] and services in the Region.
2. advocates for continuous improvement of human and sustainable development standards, processes and systems in line with regional and global best practices.
3. mobilises technical and financial resources for implementation of approved policies and programmes in Member States.
4. optimises the use of resources and increase effectiveness of interventions through integrated programme planning and delivery.

Policy Oversight 

Policy oversight for the regional programmes is provided mainly by the Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD), the Council for National Security and Law Enforcement (CONSLE) in relation to Crime and Security and the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) in relation to Sustainable Development.

In accordance with the approved Rules of Procedure of the COHSOD, Member States are required to establish National COHSODs to serve as a mechanism for inter-sectoral collaboration and consultation on a regular basis and, in particular, prior to the meetings of the regional COHSOD and Community Council. Several Member States have established National COHSODs/Inter-sectoral Ministerial Committees.

Tags: YOUTH DEVELOPMENT(30) ,SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT(77) ,SPORTS DEVELOPMENT(8) ,SECURITY(102) ,LABOUR(26) ,HUMAN AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT(11) ,HEALTH SECTOR DEVELOPMENT(31) ,GENDER(117) ,EDUCATION(152) ,CULTURE(133)