OAS in Haiti

OAS in Haiti

Introduction:

The Organization of the American States (OAS) is the world’s oldest regional organization and has maintained a continuous Representation in Haiti since 1956. For the past 55 years, the Organization has strived to apply the principles delineated in its Charter through actions directed at:

Ø  Strengthening peace and security in Haiti;

Ø  Promoting and consolidating representative democracy in the country; and

Ø  Fostering the economic social and cultural development of Haiti, through cooperation programs and projects financed by its Member States and other partners.

Since 2004, the role of the OAS in Haiti has grown significantly, with the implementation of over fifteen[1]/ targeted projects in the fields of Education, Sustainable Development, Tourism, and Social Development and the observation of elections.

The OAS Presence in Haiti:

OAS and the Democratic Process: 2010-2011 Election

The 2010-2011 elections represented another significant step in the process of democratic values sedimentation in Haiti. Even though the fourth election after the 1987 Constitution was conducted throughout the least propitious circumstances – after the earthquake and the outbreak of cholera -, its outcome preserved the democratic institutions and a legitimate government. In an electoral process which engaged 33.534 Haitian as poll workers demonstrating a deep sense of civic responsibility, 2/3 of the Parliament seats were renewed and a new President was elected according to the peoples’ sovereignty.

After the elections first round crisis, which put in check the legitimacy of the elections, the OAS Expert Mission identified the key issues that prevented its success. These recommendations provided all the actors involved with a common agenda for going forward, thereby allowing for better coordination and resources allocation in the organization of the second round of the elections. The political climate was far more peaceful as 201 internationals and 6000 national observers could witness.

OAS and Citizens Security:

Ø  In 2005, the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights presented its report approaching the Haitian justice system and law enforcement. The Commission concluded that Haitian National police suffered from a number of fundamental deficiencies. These included inadequate staffing and resources and an absence of appropriate vetting and training programs as well as the lack of a clear and enforced hierarchy of command and control.

Ø  In 2008, in Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay, through the “Declaracion de la Reunion de Coordinacion Lationoamericana para la Cooperacion Policial con Haiti”, formalized their intent to assist the necessary reform of the National Police of Haiti. It was defined as well that a Technical Group of Work coordinated by the OAS would be created. Since the first measures taken, the Latin American cooperation has grown, presently counting with the support of Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay, and Peru.

The Technical Work Group works for the development of the new national police which broke up with the past ideology of authoritarian and repressive actions. The new ideology seeks to create closer ties between the police and Haitian people, building a relationship of mutual trust and cooperation. To implement effectively this project, the Technique Group of Work seeks to:

·  Create a reform plan approved by the Haitian Government and by the United Nations Security Council;

·  Create a career plan for all agents

·  Structure a single curriculum for the Police Academy

·  Plan all measures taking into account the MINUSTAH’s experience;

Nowadays, with the Technical Group support, the National Police Academy of Haiti trains 500 each year, improving the intuition capacity and quality to better serve the people and to fully implement the values now hold by the police. The establishment of a Community Police who observes the human rights and acts along with the community rather than repressing is the major goal.

To achieve the expected outcome, the citizens must act as guardians of their community and share information with the police officials. The OAS convict of this necessity defends the separation of the political sphere from the National Police work. In order to have the population support and their assistance, the Police had to work as it proceeded throughout the elections: impartially. It is due to this new ideology that the trust in the national police among the population increase. According to the Americas Barometer research, Haiti occupies the 10th position in the Americas regarding confidence in the police.

Recent and Ongoing Technical Cooperation Projects[2]

All OAS cooperation interventions in Haiti are guided by the following three principles:

1.  They are in keeping with the priorities established by and at the request of the Haitian Government

2.  They are carried out under the leadership of and in collaboration with Haitian Authorities

3.  They aim at strengthening institutions and fostering human development to ensure ownership and sustainability of results.

OAS and Civil Rights: Modernization of the Civil Registry Project

Recognizing that Civil Identity is a fundamental right for all people and a basic instrument to foster social inclusion, the protection of human rights, democratic governance and overall development, the OAS has for the past ten years, been providing technical support to its member states for the strengthening of their civil registry systems.

Pursuing the same objectives, in 2005 the Haitian government embarked on a complete modernization of its Civil Registry and Identification Systems with the aim of consolidating the Civil Registry in a permanent institution within the National Identity Office (ONI), under the auspices of the Ministry of Justice and Public Security.

Thanks to the generous financial support of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the OAS has been sustaining the great efforts of the Government to build a solid citizen Identification System in Haiti.

By securing the right to identity to millions of people, the Project has already significantly impacted the revitalization of democratic institutions and given greater opportunities for Haitians to exercise their rights. The cooperative efforts in this project have had a positive impact on Haitian society, and steps to follow will consolidate the State’s capacity to continue fostering development through identity in the future.

Highlights and Results:

·  Since its onset, the Haiti Civil Registry Project has registered over 4.8 million adults with a secure National Identification Card that contains biometric data and enables them to fully exercise their rights as citizens.

·  The card enables Haitian citizens to, among others:

o  Obtain legal employment, a driver’s license, passport; exercise their right to vote, access social benefit program

o  Enroll in advanced educational institutions.

·  More than 23,500 children have participated in civil registry census campaigns;

·  15 million acts have been digitalized at the Haitian National Archives in an electronic database.

·  141 permanent ONI offices nationwide have been established– each being equipped with the latest registration software and technology.

·  National campaigns for registration are being held, encouraging families to register their newborns.

·  To reach people living in areas of difficult access, mobile registration units are regularly deployed as well.

·  The Civil Registry Project employs 350 workers and has trained more than 2,500 Haitians in registration procedures.

·  Through the coordinated efforts of the Haitian authorities and the support provided by the project, new birth, marriage, and death registration will soon be directly integrated into the database as well.

OAS and Land Rights: Modernization of the Land Registry and Cadastre Project:

At the request of the Government of Haiti, the OAS together with an alliance for the modernization of the cadastre embarked in a series of technical missions with the objective of supporting Haiti in its effort for modernizing its cadastre as a basic tool for its reconstruction and future development. As a result of intense work with Haitian authorities, the Foncier Haiti Project was then developed.

This project aims at supporting Haiti’s reconstruction in the short term by providing cadastre/land-tenure information to priority reconstruction projects and to strengthen cadastral Haitian capacities in the long term for the establishment of its land rights infrastructure, based on consensus and inclusiveness, where Haitians are the principal actor for development and prosperity.

Cadastre and a Land Rights Infrastructure should be a basic countrywide grid for identifying parcels, recording property rights information and providing proof of ownership in order to empower Haitians, to generate transparent environments for national and foreign investors, to strengthen the rule of law and to improve democratic governance. The establishment of an effective cadastre and property registry is vital for many elements of the reconstruction of Haiti, including housing, agriculture, infrastructure and the building of roads.

The current cadastre in Haiti includes only 5% of properties; and merely 20% of properties have been registered. A functional cadastre and property right system, an e-Government solution, will vastly improve transparency and efficiency of Haitian institutions.

Strengthening the land record system will also improve the rights of the Haitian people. As noted in Article 17 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “everyone has the right to own property”. Improving the cadastre will empower Haitians over their land and properties to promote democratic governance and foster greater levels of growth, socioeconomic, and political stability. But, for this reform process to be successful, it requires to include numerous sectors of Haitian society, and the strengthening of a culture of dialogue to build trust and confidence. The inclusion of citizens (especially vulnerable populations such as women and youth), interest groups, such as the Diaspora, and associations of notaries and surveyors, is needed to ensure that the cadastre and land registry provides a new generation of Haitians with greater stability, tenure security, prosperity, and citizen participation.

Cadastre is another pillar of Haiti’s future plans, in extending the legal basis to private as well as public property in the reconstruction and planning of its national territory, will allow not only economic development, but also a greater institutional capacity for planning, tax collection, and a reduction in the number of disputes through the expansion and application of the Rule of Law.

Cadastre and Land Registry Resources:

English / French
§  Highlights
§  Executive Summary
§  Project Document
§  In the News and Letters
§  Picture Gallery / §  Points Saillants
§  Résumé Exécutif
§  Projet Document
§  Dans les Médias et les Lettres
§  Galerie de Photos

For information, visit us at www.foncierhaiti.org or write to

OAS and Human Rights - Protection of Vulnerable Groups Program:

Under to the authority contained in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) granted to the Organization of American States the sum of $350.000 to the protection and integration of vulnerable groups. Firstly, the Program was executed by the Department of Special Legal Programs of the Secretariat for Legal Affairs. As of March 2011, the program was under the supervision of the Director of the Department of Social Development and Employment of the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development (SEDI).

The Protection of Vulnerable Groups Program (VGP) was effective from April 30, 2009 to May 30, 2011 and sought to:

·  Support the development of specialized legislative and policy frameworks for the advancement of the rights of women and PwD;

·  Support the establishment of relevant and necessary institutional mechanisms to give effect to specialized laws and policies; and

·  Raise awareness on the particular situation of women and PwD.

To achieve these goals, the VGP has engaged in intensive and sustained technical support activities to its two main counterparts, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Rights (MCFDF) and the Secretary of State for the Integration of Persons with Disabilities (SEIPH), over the past two years. This has included numerous meetings to provide strategic and planning advice on the development of legal and policy documents and plans of actions. In addition, the VGP, through its strong network of international cooperation in the region, has supported a number of training sessions, workshops and exchanges with counterparts in the region to build the capacity of Government of Haiti’s authorities in the area of the rights of women and PwD.

Some highlights of the VGP achievements include:

·  Both the MCFDF and the SEIPH were able to re-establish their work spaces soon after the January 2010 earthquake and re-initiate efforts to elaborate specialized legislation and policies regarding violence against women and the integration of PwD;

·  The adoption of an 8-point strategy for the distribution of humanitarian aid and the creation of a Coordination Committee for distributing aid materials for PwD following the earthquake;

·  The law on paternity was adopted by the Chamber of Deputies on May 10, 2010;

·  SEIPH established its regional office in Cayes (South department);

·  The “National Policy on Persons with Disabilities” was drafted and adopted;

·  The Law on the Integration of Persons with Disabilities was approved by a majority vote by the Chamber of Deputies on May 5, 2010;

·  Two specialized studies towards the elaboration of a Construction/Building Code for Haiti (study to assess the situation of buildings in Haiti with respect to universal building code standards and study on international standards) were completed and special working group on universal accessibility norms was established and charged with the task of drafting the Code;

·  A five year national plan (2011-2016) to achieve inclusive education for PwD was developed and adopted;

·  An international symposium on Haiti’s reconstruction process and the integration of PwD was organized to launch a vigorous national awareness campaign that seeks to increase participation of the population, PwD and civil society in Haiti’s reconstruction process;

·  Significant outreach activities on the Law on Integration of PwD, including special initiatives to inform members of Haiti’s parliament and civil society in Haiti’s provinces were achieved;

·  The legal review of Haiti’s Criminal and Civil Codes was completed with recommendations for amendments in order to ensure the equal treatment under the law of men and women and the establishment of protection measures for women subject to violence.

·  A draft legal text on “Violence against Women” pursuant to a consultative and participatory process was prepared;

·  Formal and active cooperation was established with CONADIS in the Americas, particularly with Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and the Dominican Republic.