ARTICLE - OAS ISSUES 5 MILLION ID CARDS

OAS ISSUES 5 MILLION ID CARDS IN HAITI CIVIL REGISTRY PROJECT
(Defend Haiti) -

PORT-AU-PRINCE - The Organization of American States which oversaw the past elections in Haiti has ended a stage of its Civil Registry Project having registered 5,054,214 Haitians with national identification cards. These cards, include innovations in data acquisition and are required to participate in upcoming elections and obtain public services.

With funding from Canada and implementation by the United States, the OAS also updated the technologies of the Office of National Identification (ONI) offices in Haiti.

The cards feature security measures such as biometric features, a unique identification number, which is required to exercise voting, perform various administrative activities, and to receive benefits from public programs.

The project sought to support the construction of a functional ONI, by training more than 2,000 employees and providing equipment and technology to its 141 offices across the country.

The ONI is a key player for the realization of elections in Haiti. Since 2006, and during the last five electoral processes, the institution has given, from the national registry identification, the information needed to the Electoral Council (CEP) for making the electoral list.

In anticipation of parliamentary, municipal and local elections, the ONI, with the support of the project, acquired the required equipment for the production of 450,000 new national identification cards.

Furthermore, the ability of this system to make automatic fingerprint identification will double to 10 million records, an essential step to prepare for the future.

Modernization of a system of birth registration that offers services, and proximity to thepopulation is a critical component in reforming civil society in Haiti.

The project, in partnership with the Department of Justice and Public Safety (MJSP), has launched an awareness campaign, and two registration offices in civil and public hospitals in Port-au-Prince. Over a period of nine months, the registration rate has doubled and 14,198 infants received a birth certificate, thereby granting a civil identity.

Challenges Remain

However, factors remain: legal, procedural and economic effects of depriving, even today, many Haitians to obtain a civil identity.

Following consultations with civil society and with technical support from the National School of Quebec for Public Administration (ENAP), the project was submitted to two MJSP legislation projects to make the registration system of vital statistics more accessible, efficient, transparent and nondiscriminatory.

At National Archives of Haiti, the project built a database of vital statistics which will reduce the waiting time for receipt of documents, while preventing identity fraud. The national database will eventually provide the data necessary for the development of public programs.

16,270,884 acts of Birth, death, marriage, divorce and adoption have been digitized so far, but data entry must be completed. National institutions have continued the important efforts undertaken, despite the conclusion of the project.

The project was made possible by a generous contribution of 15.6 million Canadian dollars from Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) from 2008 to 2012.

The Assistant Secretary General of the OAS and Chair of the Group of Friends of Haiti, Ambassador Albert Ramdin said the OAS remains committed to Haiti's development, and recognizes the importance of CIDA's contribution to this project.

"This is a concrete example of cooperation and support in the interest of a State member," said Ramdin.