NEW YORK, CMC—Haiti has become the 12th Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member state to accede to the partnership agreement between CARICOM countries and the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank).
Haiti signed the agreement during the Haitian Investment Forum, which was held on the sidelines of the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
Prime Minister Garry Conille and Professor Benedict Oramah, the president and chairman of the board of directors of Afreximbank, signed the documents formalizing Haiti’s accession to the partnership.
“The move paves the way for public and private sector institutions in the French-speaking CARICOM country to access the US$1.5 billion financing limit approved by Afreximbank’s Board to support projects and trade-related transactions in the region. This limit is set to double once all the CARICOM member states join the partnership agreement,” Afreximbank said in a statement.
The partnership agreement, introduced by the Bank in 2022 following the African Union’s 2008 resolution designating the Diaspora as the sixth region of Africa, recognizes that Africans on the continent and in the Diaspora share deep historical, cultural, and political ties and a sense of shared identity.
The partnership agreement seeks to promote the Global Africa agenda, which includes expanding two-way trade and investment between Africa and its Diaspora to stimulate economic development.
With Haiti’s signature, 12 of the 15 CARICOM member states have acceded to the partnership agreement, with nine concluding its ratification.
During the ceremony, Afreximbank announced plans to institute a US$250 million facility to support the rebuilding of the Haitian economy.
“It is with immense gratitude that we receive your announcement today of a US$250 million facility for Haiti. This is a decisive and impactful gesture that holds the promise of revitalization for our economy and renewal for our people,” said Prime Minister Conille.
“This facility will allow us to address some of the most pressing challenges, from infrastructure and energy to agriculture and manufacturing. It will also catalyze unlocking the potential within our nation — potential that has long been stifled but never extinguished.”
He added that the facility was a concrete step towards regaining Haiti’s rightful place in the global economy, noting that it would create the right conditions for Haiti to ‘once again stand tall,’ contributing to the region and the wider world.
Professor Oramah praised Prime Minister Conille for his courage and demonstrated commitment to advancing trade and investment relations between Africa, Haiti, and the Caribbean region in general.
“Haiti’s accession to this partnership agreement marks another historic move towards enhanced Afri-Caribbean cooperation, thereby helping to propel the Global Africa agenda towards a more prosperous future,” he added.
Afreximbank said that since it introduced the partnership agreement with Caribbean countries, it has hosted three editions of its AfriCaribbean Trade and I
It said that in just under two years, the multilateral Bank has provided more than US$2.5 billion in funding across CARICOM, targeting key areas such as infrastructure development, climate adaptation projects, and SME financing.
“In June, the Bank hosted its 2024 Annual Meetings in The Bahamas, a historic event that brought together more than 4,000 people from across the globe. The event also doubled as the third ACTIF and served as one of the high-level events by Afreximbank to demonstrate the Global Africa movement,” it added.
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