ARTICLE - OAS - UN SECURITY COUNCIL

OAS SECRETARY GENERAL AT THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL: "IT'S TIME TO RE-ESTABLISH CONFIDENCE BETWEEN HAITI AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY"
(South Florida Caribbean News) -

WASHINGTON, DC - The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza, participated today in a session of the United Nations Security Council on “The Question of Haiti”, upon an invitation from the President of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos, the Council’s current chair.

After thanking the Colombian Head of State for the call to deal with the situation in the Caribbean country, the OAS representative focused his speech on the importance of the international community “to persist in their efforts to support the strengthening of the rule of law and governance in Haiti”.

With this in mind, the OAS and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) formed a Joint Electoral Observation Mission “with the objective of monitoring all related aspects of the electoral process that took place in the country”. He valued the joint work of the two institutions, and maintained that their work served as an example of coordination between different international entities that seek a same purpose, in this case, to help the Caribbean nation. He also recognized the work of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), and other countries supporting Haiti.

Secretary General Insulza emphasized the effort by the Haitian people and government to execute two rounds of elections, and pointed out that if the preliminary results presented by the CEP are confirmed, Haiti will have a peaceful transfer of power within a democratic framework.

Nevertheless, he warned that the road ahead “will not be easy for Haiti, as it will be defined by the challenges that the country and its new Head of State will have to confront, and also by the new division of power between the two branches of Government”. He explained that in this situation “the parties that lost or didn’t participate in the presidential elections will constitute the majority in the Congress, the body that has to approve the appointment of the new Prime Minister”.

For this reason, the Secretary General emphasized that “constant political dialogue, with participation from all sides, will be essential for a benign and efficient administration”. Therefore, he concluded that it will be necessary “to seek a new meaning for politics, a commitment and a consensus between Executive and Legislative powers in order to provide stability and consolidate the reconstruction effort”.

Regarding the reconstruction effort, he said that International cooperation is very much involved in the planning process, but “one voice” is expected from the country. He expressed that “the working methods of the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission (IHRC) might have to be reviewed before the Commission’s work finishes in order to address the priorities fixated by the Government of Haiti.

Reiterating the importance of external support to the reconstruction efforts, the OAS representative encouraged the international community of donors “to channel considerable resources to the Haiti Recovery Fund” and “to adjust its activities to the priorities of the Haitian government.”

Regarding the role of MINUSTAH, he insisted on the need to “extend its presence, as it is essential for maintaining a peaceful and stable atmosphere, propitious for the reconstruction.” He added however that “the international community should have the chance to act in a more coordinated way and channel its efforts towards the achievement of the goals determined by and with the Haitian government.” In this regard, he warned that “most Haitians are under the impression that most resources are not being spent in Haiti, and the people’s needs are not being met.” The Secretary General therefore insisted on the need to “dispel this impression through a quick, coordinated and transparent action.”

Finally, the head of the OAS said “it is undeniable the existence of a solid bond between reconstruction and political development, and that is why our Organization is ready to support Haiti in developing a culture of political dialogue and commitment, as well as institutional strengthening.”

The OAS is currently developing programs aimed at fostering private investment and developing a structure of land registry in order to open new windows for economic development in the Caribbean country.