WASHINGTON, DC – The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Albert Ramdin, Wednesday said the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) grouping will have a “critical role” to play in the ongoing efforts to restore stability and security in Haiti.
OAS Secretary General, Albert Ramdin addressing the OAS Permanent Council on a roadmap for Haiti’s future development (CMC Photo)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 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 stabilization 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 for the hemisphere it will be for the OAS.
“We will facilitate as much as can be political support…because beyond that we can’t go. We do not have a mandate for peace keeping 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 done already 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 the Haitian stakeholders are important in the context of one of the issues that we have to deal with and that is the expiration of the term in office of the transitional presidential council whose mandate ends in early February next year.
“We need to see what will come after because this is not a pan 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 said for the United Nations, the peacekeeping mandate remains within the remit of the UN Security Council and “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 mobilize is not only the Western hemisphere “although we need to play a critical role, it is one of the role 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 very useful elements and initiatives and what we are looking forward to now is how we coordinate better, build synergies and make sure that the impact to 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 now 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 mobilization 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 act in support of our brothers and sisters in Haiti”.
He said Haitians have contributed greatly to the historical advancement of liberty and who today deserve the same rights, liberty and pursuit of happiness that we all do”.
But he acknowledged that the OAS is in a “liquidity crisis” and in order to ae a tangible contribution towards ending the crisis in Haiti “there is a real need for more donation of resources both material and in kind.
“We are grateful that the OAS has prioritized advocating for international cooperation and we reiterate our belief that for any solution in Haiti to be doable they must develop in partnership with and 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 said that the hemispheric body is only as strong as its weakest link even as it understands “the cost of freedom can be extremely high” acknowledging that the situation in Haiti makes paying ‘for the audacity of claiming that freedom against the odds”.
