Haiti: report of the Good Offices Mission of the Permanent Council

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

The Dominican delegation first wishes to express its thanks for the presentation of the Report of the Good Offices Mission of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) to the Republic of Haiti, carried out from June 8 to 10, 2021, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti; and to our fellow ambassadors of Canada, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the United States for their commitment and dedication to a cause so important to our Hemisphere, in which they were also supported by the General Secretariat of the OAS.

The report presented today shows that the Republic of Haiti still faces great challenges in holding free, fair and impartial elections before the end of 2021, some of which have been mentioned by those who spoke before me; but one also perceives a hopeful scene, showing signs of commitment on the part of the political, social and economic class to move forward in favour of democracy, public security, the independence of the judiciary and respect for human rights in that sister country.

We value the readiness and the commitments assumed by President Jovenel Moïse for a democratic process in Haiti that concludes with a transition in February of next year, 2022, before which we consider it important to follow the recommendations of the Good Offices Mission of the Permanent Council, chiefly as regards the prompt appointment of a prime minister and a cabinet that enjoy the confidence of the Haitian people, the adoption of urgent measures to restore a climate of security in keeping with human rights obligations, and the appointment of new members of the Provisional Electoral Council. In that regard, the new electoral calendar for legislative, presidential, municipal and local elections for this year, 2021, is a step forward that helps to give clarity to the electoral process in Haiti and should help to strengthen trust among its various political, social, economic and civil society actors.

As the report indicates, we call on the international community to continue supporting Haiti and the Haitian people in their efforts to enjoy their democratic rights in full, through new investments that generate more jobs, and cooperation and technical assistance that contribute to its institutional strengthening and to the development of the infrastructure needed to improve its competitiveness and to set out on the path of development and stability.

Esteemed colleagues, the Dominican delegation fully agrees with what the report states, namely that any solution to Haiti’s present political crisis requires the effort of all sectors of Haitian society, among them the government, the opposition, the private sector, religious groups and civil society, to whom it will fall, together with the Haitian people, to decide the destiny of their country.

Lastly, we support the recommendation of the Good Offices Mission that the Permanent Council be kept informed of the progress made and that the OAS continue to accompany the Haitian people in their efforts in the days, weeks and months ahead.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.