WASHINGTON, DC – The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Albert Ramdin says security and elections are the most urgent and interconnected priorities in Haiti and called on all stakeholders and the international community to accelerate efforts to restore democratic institutions through a credible electoral process.
OAS Secretary general, Albert Ramdin, addressing Permanent Council on the recent visit of a delegation to Haiti“Haiti stands at a critical juncture. Our responsibility is clear: to strengthen security efforts, advance electoral preparations, deliver on the commitments already made, and ensure that international cooperation translates into tangible improvements in the daily lives of the Haitian people,” Ramdin said as he presented a report to the Permanent Council on the situation in the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country.
The report followed the visit by a high-level Inter-American and international delegation to Haiti from August 16 to 19.
Ramdin, who headed the delegation warned that armed gangs control between 80 and 90 per cent of the capital Port-au-Prince, while approximately 1.47 million people have been displaced and 6.4 million require humanitarian assistance.
He told the Permanent Council of the importance of providing the Gang Suppression Force (GSF), with the personnel, financing, logistical support, and operational capabilities required to deliver results, while pursuing parallel efforts to strengthen the Haitian National Police and the criminal justice system.
The GSF is an international police and military force approved by the United Nations Security Council on October 2, 2023 to assist the Haitian government in restoring law and order amid worsening civil strife and gang violence.
Regarding the impending elections, Ramdin recognised the progress made by the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) and the National Identification Office but said preparations for the elections scheduled for December 13 must be accelerated.
recently announced that the first round of long-awaited presidential and legislative elections, alongside a constitutional referendum, for December 13, this year, marking the first time Haitians will be casting ballots since 2016 when President Jovenel Moise was elected. Moise was later assassinated on July 7,2021.
The preliminary results are expected to be published December 19, with final results for the first round scheduled for January 9, 2027. A second round of presidential and legislative elections, along with local elections, is scheduled for February 21, 2027 with final results for the second round of presidential and legislative elections scheduled for March 7, with final local election results expected March 12.
The electoral campaign for the first round is scheduled to begin October 5 and run through December 12. The campaign for the second round is scheduled for January 10 through February 20, 2027.
The CEP said that 17 out of the 18 political groups, representing 228 political parties have received approval to contest the polls.
In response to a shortfall of approximately one million identification cards, Ramdin told the Council that the OAS and Japan recently signed a three million US dollar cooperation agreement that will finance the acquisition of 350,000 biometric identification cards and expand mobile registration services.
He called on other international partners to complement those efforts to further ensure a legitimate election with high participation. Ramdin also confirmed that the OAS had received an invitation to deploy an Electoral Observation Mission and had begun preparations.
The OAS Council was told that the visit also helped advance initiatives in health and sustainable development. The OAS, together with the Pan American Health Organization and other partners, will work with the Haitian National Police to establish trauma care centers for injured officers.
In addition, Haiti’s accession to CAF (Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean), facilitated by the OAS, was announced—a move that will provide access to approximately US$168 million in financing, technical cooperation, and development tools.
The OAS also launched a cooperation agreement with the Brazilian NGO Viva Rio to jointly facilitate opportunities for youth and women affected by violence in Haiti.
Haiti’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Religious Affairs, Raina Forbin, emphasized the government’s commitment to restoring security and constitutional order while calling for decisive international support.
“We must now move from solidarity to action, from commitments to implementation, and from promises to results. Two urgent priorities guide our action today: security and elections,” said Forbin.
CARICOM Secretary General DR. Carla Barnett said that regional and international efforts must remain focused on the needs of the Haitian people.
“Our objective must continue to be to support the Haitian people as they seek to find solutions to the present crises of insecurity and governance, so that the Haitian people can focus on long-term planning for investment, job creation, and access to essential social services,” said Barnett.
She said those initiatives helped to strengthen coordination and build synergies by facilitating contact and exchanges of individual experiences and lessons learned among an array of international actors.
“It also sent the message to the people of Haiti, that despite the challenges and perils of the present situation, they have not been abandoned by the international and regional communities, and that the collective commitment to support Haiti was still alive, despite the long duration of the multifaceted crisis,” the Secretary-General told the OAS Permanent Council.
Meanwhile, Ramdin announced further OAS-led follow-up actions, including an environmental technical mission, coordination meetings with international organizations, and a meeting of the Group of Friends of Haiti to mobilize political, technical, and financial support.
He said that through its Electoral Task Force, the OAS will intensify its technical assistance to Haiti’s electoral authorities and support the implementation of the measures required to advance a credible and inclusive electoral process.
Ramdin said regarding security, the OAS will strengthen its capacity-building support for the Haitian National Police, including through the Haiti Secure initiative.
The Secretary General Ramdin also said the OAS would promote a private sector delegation to explore investment and job creation opportunities, particularly for at-risk youth, and reaffirmed that the Organization would remain fully engaged in supporting Haiti’s security, democratic restoration, and long-term development.
