GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Eminent Persons Group (EPG) says it has been holding virtual discussions with Haitian stakeholders as efforts continue to deal with the ongoing socio-economic and political situation in the French-speaking CARICOM country.
The group, headed by former St. Lucia prime minister Dr. Kenny Anthony and his two former prime ministerial colleagues, Bruce Golding of Jamaica and Perry Christie of the Bahamas, had traveled to Port au Prince last month to continue meeting with government and other Haitian stakeholders.
The meetings in Haiti were a follow-up to the three-day Haiti consultation held in Jamaica in June to build consensus and allow inclusive participation in a neutral environment.
A statement issued by the Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat Monday said that following their visit to Haiti on July 12-15, the EPG had called on the various groups of stakeholders with which it had been engaging to pursue discussions with each other, formally or informally.
“These discussions could help narrow differences and build on broad agreements that had been reached. The EPG has been assisting this process by carrying out virtual meetings over the past weeks with various groups of protagonists to deepen the discussion on the areas of political disagreement to surmount differences that impede the arrival of a consensus and to maintain the facilitation momentum.
“The point in the facilitation process has been reached to deepen discussions to find common solutions,” the statement said.
It said that the EPG has also taken advantage of the opportunity, while preparing for its imminent return to Haiti, to continue to meet virtually with essential sectors of Haitian civil society whose deep understanding of their social and political environment, acknowledged influence and moral suasion are significant attributes that can contribute to the search for a broad consensus through compromise.
“In this regard, the EPG has met very recently with the Protestant Federation of Haiti and is seeking to engage with associations of the Haitian diaspora,” the statement said.
The EPG has been tasked, along with a small team comprising the technical expertise in mediation, security, and political research supported by the CARICOM Secretariat, to facilitate consultations with Haitian stakeholders.
At their summit in Trinidad and Tobago last month, CARICOM leaders had “expressed “grave concern over the deep humanitarian, security and governance crisis” in Haiti.
“They noted the need for the immediate creation of a Humanitarian and Security Stabilization Corridor under the mandate of a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution and agreed to seek support from international partners to help finance its establishment and the strengthening of security in Haiti,” according to the communique issued following the summit.
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