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The OAS Country Office in Haiti
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The OAS National Office in Haiti was first established in 1956. Over the decades, a number of new representations were established to assist the Government to address particular socio-political developments. More recently, for example, the OAS Special Mission for Strengthening Democracy in Haiti, was established by virtue of the adoption of Resolution 822, in 2004, to assist the country in addressing the serious political conflict prevailing at the time.
Particularly since the establishment of the Electoral Technical Assistance Programme (ETAPH) in 2004, efforts had commenced to consolidate all the activities of the OAS in Haiti within a single representation. Thus, throughout 2005 and 2006, the OAS National Office greatly facilitated the work of the Special Mission, especially that of the ETAPH.
By early 2007, the operations of the OAS representations at Cap Haitien and at rue Babiole, in Port-au-Prince had already been consolidated with those of the other two Offices at rue Musseau and rue Pacot in Port-au-Prince. By mid-2007, the essentially “informal” process of consolidation of activities received formal recognition and endorsement, with the adoption, by the 38th Ordinary Session of the OAS General Assembly which convened in Panama, in June of that year, of Resolution AG/RES.2306 (XXXV11-O/07). This Resolution, entitled, “Support for the Strengthening of Democratic Institutions and Socioeconomic Development of Haiti”, inter alia, recognized the efforts that had already been undertaken by the Organisation to streamline its operations and activities in Haiti, including the measures taken towards bringing all OAS operations under a single representation, namely, the OAS Haiti Office. It also recognized the creation, within the OAS Headquarters, in Washington, of a Special Programme for Haiti, by the Haiti Task Force (HTF), itself created within the Secretariat as a mechanism for the coordination of all OAS activities in Haiti, under the coordination of Assistant Secretary General of the Organisation. That Special Programme spanned projects in such areas as Democratic Governance; Human Rights and Justice; and Security. The programme also envisaged projects in the area of Development, with emphasis on the development of human capacity and institutional development, particularly in areas that could contribute to the sustainable development of Haiti, such as Trade, Investment and Tourism.
Fundamentally, though, it was by virtue of the adoption of Resolution 2306 that the responsibilities of the OAS Special Mission for Strengthening Democracy in Haiti and of any other OAS representation in the country, were conferred to the OAS Country Office in Haiti, “taking into account the positive evolution of the situation in Haiti and the need to focus increasingly on contributing to the social and economic development of the people of Haiti and the strengthening of democratic institutions in Haiti”. The consolidation process promised significant dividends in the forms of, inter alia, enhanced coordination of activities; increased cost-effectiveness; and improved reconciliation of OAS assistance with the priorities of the Government of Haiti. Giving full expression to the will of the General Assembly, in July 2007, the OAS Haiti Office, housing the combined operations of the two remaining OAS representations mentioned above, moved to its present location at Pelerin 2A, #3, in Petion Ville. |
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