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:

Strengthening peace and security in Haiti;

Promoting and consolidating representative democracy in the country; and

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 fifteen1/ targeted projects in the fields of Education, Sustainable Development, Tourism,

and Social Development and the observation of elections.

1 List attached

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:

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.

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 10 th

position in the Americas regarding confidence in the police.

Recent and Ongoing Technical Cooperation Projects2

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. 2 Concise summary attached

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 Points Saillants

Executive Summary

Project Document

In the News and Letters

Picture Gallery

Résumé Exécutif

Projet Document

Dans les Médias et les Lettres

Galerie de P hotos

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

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.

These achievements have already begun to change public perceptions, attitudes and treatment of PwD

and will promise to improve their lives with the final adoption of laws and their effective

implementation.

OAS and Education:

Emergency Scholarship Program for Human Development in Haiti

Over the past 50 years, the OAS has awarded over 100,000 scholarships for academic

studies and professional development training to citizens of OAS member countries, including

Haiti, through its Academic Scholarship and Professional Development Training Programs.

In the aftermath of the devastating January 12, 2010 earthquake, the OAS developed a

special OAS Scholarship Program for Haiti. The Program took into consideration Haitian

authorities’ concerns about brain drain, and will award scholarships to Haitians living in Haiti

and willing to pursue on-line studies.

To this end, the OAS has entered into partnerships with educational and philanthropic

institutions to offer joint scholarships for on-line studies. The fields of study for which the

scholarships are to be attributed were selected with Haitian authorities, taking specific needs

into consideration.

Highlights of the Program:

In partnership with Laval University of Quebec, sixty (60) Haitians were granted a

scholarship to pursue an on-line Masters Degree in International Development

Management.

Two (2) Haitian professional will pursue an on-line Masters degree program in Health

Systems Administration through a joint scholarship with Rochester Institute of

Technology (RIT).

Approximately 260 teachers will benefit from teachers’ training programs over the next

three years through a joint scholarship program with Teachers Without Borders.

Professional development certificate programs will be offered to a number of Haitian

professionals in fields such as Emergency management, entrepreneurship, criminology,

community policing and health related subjects such as epidemiology. These joint

scholarship programs will be offered in collaboration with institutions such as the State

University of New York, Empire State College, Walden University, University of the West

Indies-Open Campus and Institut de Santé Publique, d’Epidémiologie et de

Développement (ISPED) de l’Université Bordeaux Segalen.

The OAS established a Computer Center at “Ecole Supérieure d’Infotronique d’Haiti” to

provide computer and Internet access to scholarship recipients.

The Organization also partnered with the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti

(MINUSTAH) to allow the scholarship recipients that are living outside of the Capital city,

Port-au-Prince, access to a computer with internet access to pursue their on-line

studies.

 

Orchestra Program for Youth-at-Risk in the Caribbean:

The innovative Program being carried out in Haiti, Jamaica and St. Lucia seeks to apply an effective and

humane approach to promote school retention and prevent violent behavior by targeting youths at risk in

urban areas while at the same time providing schools with a more comprehensive approach to education

by contributing to intellectual and cultural growth. By redirecting the leisure time of youth into an activity

that takes advantage of their inherent talents, the Program aims at stimulating their sense of responsibility

and respect for others.

In Haiti, the key to the execution of this Program is the roles played by the leading music institution

involved. In addition, the Haitian Government is also providing expertise in youth outreach and guiding

the Program’s sustainability efforts.

The program’s strategy supports the creation of a Children and Youth Orchestras center in adapting the

Venezuelan System through four key activities: (i) institutional strengthening of the four co-executing

agencies for an efficient management of the program; (ii) investments for instrument purchase and

donation; (iii) implementing three-year training program with Venezuelan, Chilean and local orchestra

and choir instructors that should become self sustainable after the three years of OAS assistance; and

(iv) the creation and management of impact assessment instruments and an expansion/replication

system for the four pilot projects.

The program specifically seeks to achieve the following objectives:

Increase in school retention

Drop in youth violence incidents

Improvement in academic performance

Increase participation in community activities

Increased access to culture for neglected communities

Highlights of the Program in Haiti:

An Orchestra Center was established at Ecole Ste Trinité in Port-au-Prince: 8

instructors and 120 children participating in the Program.

60-children choir set up and 54 instrument students selected in Haiti.

The earthquake damaged the school and destroyed instruments but donations were

made by various generous partners of new and used instruments. Among the

partners are the Government of Korea, Inter-American Culture and Development

Foundation (IACDF), Allegro Music Center and the US Episcopal Church. Shipment

was provided thanks to Airline Ambassadors.

Local instructors trained by experts from OAS member states.

In addition to the regular training sessions for local instructors and students, a two-

day trauma workshop was conducted for program participants by a specialist in

trauma issues who is both a member of the US Episcopal Church as well as a

volunteer with the youth orchestra itself. The workshop was conducted with a view

to helping students process the changes that had taken place in their lives over the

past few months, and it was in keeping with the program’s mission of providing

participants with sources of support, stability, and community.

A series of concerts were carried out by the students and their teachers in

Washington DC to celebrate the Centennial of the OAS Headquarters as well as for

displaced families after the Earthquake.

The Haitian youth orchestra program derives significant financial support from such organizations as the

OAS/FEMCIDI, the governments of Colombia, Venezuela, and Korea, and Yéle Haiti. Colombia’s Batuta

Foundation, Venezuela’s FESNOJIV, and YOA-Orchestra of the Americas offered training assistance, and

Brazil’s Viva Rio sponsored a series of concerts given by the school’s faculty.

Additional information: http://www.museum.oas.org/en/oasis

OAS and Sustainable Development:

Caribbean Emergency Legislation Project (2009-2010)

Background The Department of Sustainable Development (DSD) of the General Secretariat of

the Organization of American States (GS-OAS), with the support of the World

Bank, served as the executing agency for the Caribbean Emergency Legislation

Project (CELP). The objective of the project was to build legislative capacity to

enhance legal and institutional frameworks for state of emergency and budget

appropriation in eleven CARICOM countries and the Dominican Republic. Further,

the project aimed to make recommendations on how to improve legislative

channels and administrative procedures during, and immediately after, the

occurrence of a natural disaster.

Objectives The objective of the project was to build legislative capacity to enhance legal and

institutional frameworks for state of emergency and budget appropriation in

eleven CARICOM countries and the Dominican Republic. Further, the project

aimed to make recommendations on how to improve legislative channels and

administrative procedures during, and immediately after, the occurrence of a

natural disaster.

Pursuant to these objectives, the project assessed current legal-institutional

frameworks in the Caribbean applicable under a state of emergency, reviewed

global best practices, and promoted dialogue with national and regional

stakeholders, in order to ascertain areas for improvement and make

recommendations that would be best suited for the Caribbean region. The project

consisted of the following components

Improving the Legal and Institutional Frameworks Related to State of

Emergency

National and Regional Outreach and Validation of Finding

CELP Haiti

Profile

http://www.oas.org/dsd/EnvironmentLaw/CaribbeanLegislationProject/Profiles/

HaitiFINAL.pdf

Promoting the Sustainable and Strategic Utilization of Transboundary Groundwater of Hispaniola:

The Artibonite Intermountain Aquifer and The Massacre Coastal Aquifier System (2004- )

Background In 2004 ISARM-Americas identified two transboundary aquifers in the “Inventory

of Transboundary Aquifers of the Americas,” which was completed by UNESCO in

cooperation with the Organization of American States (OAS). These two aquifiers

were the Artibonito and the Massacre shared by the Republic of Haiti and the

Dominican Republic, both of which were recognized as priority case-studies for

project implementation. To this end, the two countries established the goal of

“sustainably managing the aquifers in the intermountain and coastal regions of

Hispaniola with a view to reducing land degradation, excess erosion-

sedimentation, and poverty.”

A Project Development Facility, Block A (PDF-A) request for the preparation of

this Medium Sized Project (MSP) was subsequently submitted to the Global

Environment Facility (GEF) and approved in September 2005. The preparatory

work was executed by the OAS with the support of UNESCO-IHP, and

implemented by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). A key

outcome of this effort was the recommendation for the development and

execution of a framework within which the two island states could manage the

water resources of these priority waters in such a manner as to achieve increased

and sustained environmental and economic benefits for the people of both

countries. In particular, the need for such a framework was assessed as critical in

light of the likely changes in availability of surface waters as a result of drying

trends in the region that are forecasted to occur as a result of global climatic

change. Consequently, the identification and possible exploitation of alternative

sources of water, to minimize risks of over-exploitation of current water sources,

was identified as a priority action with implications for adaptation to climate

change in water stressed regions.

Objective The objective of the project was to develop and implement a strategic framework

and program of actions to maintain, protect, and utilize the shared transboundary

groundwater reserves of the island of Hispaniola. This was done for the benefit of

the people of the island, by integrating ecological management and economic

development activities, based upon the comprehensive groundwater studies

undertaken within the context of the proposed MSP. Specifically, the MSP

addressed three major elements of the use and management of groundwaters

within the Macasia-Guayamoc Aquifer in the Artibonito River Basin and the

Massacre Aquifer in the Massacre River Basin, the most important being the

reduction of poverty and improvement of water security.

Haiti Building Standards Development Project (2005-2009)

Background During its initial stages, the following information was compiled to provide

antecedents for the project:

There is no national building code in Haiti, and whenever technical standards

are used, the choice seems to be determined by the educational background of

the engineers responsible for the design of projects. Most common norms are,

in order of importance: ASCE 7-02, French norms, Canadian norms. The same

situation prevails in the universities and tertiary institutions where future

engineers and construction professionals are trained. As a result, and

confirming to the needs expressed by the Haitian officials, developing building

standards for the country has been recognized as a priority. Building on our

experiences throughout the Caribbean in developing building codes and

designing enforcement mechanisms, the Department of Sustainable

Development at the Organization of American States (OAS/DSD) has been

approached to undertake that initiative.

The flooding of May 21-24 and September 18, 2004 that affected respectively

the towns of Mapou and Fond Verettes in Eastern Haiti, and the second largest

country’s urban center: Gonaïves in Northern Haiti, claimed more than 3000

lives, affected an estimated population of 300,000, and destroyed

approximately 4,500 houses. Following that disaster, an Emergency Response

Disaster Management Program (ERDMP) has been undertaken by the World

Bank (WB) to address in the mid and long-term the impacts of natural disaster

in the country. Among the numerous factors explaining the extent of the loss of

lives and goods are the absence of land use zoning and building guidelines, and

comprehensive enforcement mechanisms.

Objectives Technical Management

At the technical level, the building Norms Technical Unit (BNTU) was managed

by a lead National Engineering Consulting Firm, under the terms of references

detailed in Annex II of the present report. The lead firm then subcontracted

local firms and international expertise as needed, in consultation with the

MTPTC and under the technical supervision of the DSD. The OAS provided

technical guidance and oversight to the BNTU.

Project Steering

The institutional framework under which the project steering worked was

agreed upon among the different stakeholders during the OAS Mission to Haiti

in May 2005. A Building Norms Steering Committee/ Comité de Normes de

Construction (BNSC/CNC) including representatives from the public and private

sectors, public and private universities, and local communities in Haiti, was in

charge of providing guidance to the overall project implementation. This

committee was under the institutional authority of the governmental institution

managing the overall efforts on Disaster Risks Management in Haiti: the DPC-

SPGRD, which comprised representatives from all the ministries directly

involved in the activities being undertaken in the project. It has been agreed

that the BNSC will be chaired by the Civil Engineer representing the Ministry of

Public Works at the SPGRD.

Ensuring the compatibility of the Haitian building Norms with the other norms

being developed by other CARICOM countries was the responsibility of the

DSD. CARICOM Countries updated the Caribbean Uniform Building Code

(CUBiC) to the Caribbean Uniform Building Standards (CUBiS), based on the

International Building Codes (IBC). As a result, good knowledge of the IBC and

close coordination with the CARICOM effort was essential for the team involved

in developing the Haitian Building Norms. This coordination involved close

interaction with the Caribbean Regional Organization for Standards and

Qualities (CROSQ), which served as the forefront in standardization of the built

environment in the Caribbean, and also the Caribbean Development Bank

(CDB), which was financing the CARICOM effort.

The OAS coordinated the technical liaisons between the CARICOM Community

and the Haitian counterparts (BNTU and MTPTC). This was done by identifying

and localizing all necessary documentations for developing the Haitian Building

Norms, Residential and Self-help standards, as needed, and in particular,

ensuring that the necessary information on the CARICOM effort to update

CUBiC (to CUBiS) was made available, so as to ensure the full integration of the

Haiti project into the CARICOM initiative.

Additional

information

http://www.oas.org/dsd/EnvironmentLaw/CaribbeanLegislationProject/

Profiles/HaitiFINAL.pdf