HAITI-OAS says CARICOM has a role to play in Haiti’s future direction

WASHINGTON, CMC – The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Albert Ramdin, said Wednesday the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) grouping will have a “critical role” to play in the ongoing efforts to restore stability and security in Haiti.

Ramdin, addressing the OAS Permanent Council on “Towards a Haitian-Led Roadmap for Stability and Peace with Regional and International Support,” said that there is a need for more effective coordination in a transparent manner, providing all the information available to all member states, allowing them to pinpoint what and where they can do more.

The Roadmap is a hemispheric proposal to support Haiti that seeks to link immediate stabilisation with long-term structural reforms. It is conceived as a flexible and dynamic framework, informed by Haitian leadership and by close coordination with regional and international partners.

“So, coordination in the first instance in the Inter-American system, the coordination role will also be with CARICOM and with the United Nations. But as we speak, it will be for the OAS.

“We will facilitate as much political support as we can…because beyond that, we can’t go. We do not have a mandate for peacekeeping operations to manage,’ he said, adding “we can do a lot in the context of facilitating that process”.

Ramdin said that the 15-member CARICOM grouping, which also includes Haiti, will play a critical role, and they have already done a lot of good work in terms of political facilitation with Haitian stakeholders.

He said whether that needs to be expanded or not is up for discussion, and it will be done in close cooperation with the Haitian authorities, including the transitional presidential council and the prime minister’s office.

Engagements with Haitian stakeholders are crucial in addressing the expiration of the transitional presidential council’s term in office, whose mandate concludes in early February next year.

“We need to see what will come after because this is not a plan for six months only. This is far longer. So that is a political issue, and we believe that CARICOM can be very helpful, and with the support of both the OAS and the UN, we look forward to the guidance of their experience on the engagement process,” Ramdin said.

He stated that the United Nations’ peacekeeping mandate falls under the UN Security Council’s remit. “The possibility of a resolution to fine-tune how that is going to work in the future, I hope that will be brought to the table of the UNSC very quickly.”

He said the global political support to mobilise is not only the Western hemisphere, “although we need to play a critical role, it is one of the roles of the United Nations, the role of the Haiti Working Group within the UN, led by…Canada is important.

“I must say, throughout all of this, this is a plan, but already a lot is happening, a lot is being done already, so let us not forget that Haiti is receiving assistance from several institutions, several member states, and I want to thank the member states and institutions for that.

“There are beneficial elements and initiatives, and what we are looking forward to now is how we coordinate better, build synergies, and make sure that the impact on the Haitian people is felt,” Ramdin told the OAS Permanent Council.

He told the meeting that while “no plan will be perfect… we will need to start work at some point, a lot is happening, and I think the Haitian people they listen to us …the Haitian diaspora do expect to know what happens next.

“I take from this meeting that you are not only committed, but committed to provide the necessary support in the different forms,” he said, adding, “One country, two countries will not be able to carry this task.

“On the resource mobilisation, we must make sure that there is commitment from the whole hemisphere,” Ramdin said, adding that he has already approached several foreign ministers on that matter.

The Bahamas Ambassador to the OAS, Chet Neymour, said his country supports the OAS initiative, adding that the hemispheric body “has an obligation and responsibility to act in support of our brothers and sisters in Haiti”.

He said Haitians have significantly contributed to the historical advancement of liberty and deserve the same rights, freedom, and pursuit of happiness that we all do.

But he acknowledged that the OAS is in a “liquidity crisis” and to make a tangible contribution towards ending the crisis in Haiti, there is a real need for more donations of resources, both material and in kind.

“We are grateful that the OAS has prioritised advocating for international cooperation, and we reiterate our belief that for any solution in Haiti to be doable, it must he developed in partnership with and with the concurrence of Haiti”.

St. Kitts and Nevis said that the twin-island Federation also welcomes the OAS update on Haiti and looks forward to its continuing development.

The Federation stated that the hemispheric body’s strength is only as strong as its weakest link, acknowledging that “the cost of freedom can be extremely high.” It also noted that the situation in Haiti necessitates paying “for the audacity of claiming that freedom against the odds.”