Mr. Chairman,
I thank the delegation of Haiti for the statement made to the Permanent Council on the recent elections in Haiti.
The position of the Caribbean Community, CARICOM, has been expressed to this august body on several occasions. CARICOM’s engagement with Haiti is a matter of great importance to the Region.
It is in this context that our Heads of Government agreed to despatch a small mission to be present at this critical political moment in Haiti. They will report to the Heads of Government of CARICOM. We recognize and share the concerns of the delegates of Canada and the United States expressed today.
CARICOM is aware that this presence engendered many questions beyond the Community. The Community, for its part, is also aware of the fact that other entities from outside the Region were present at this most recent electoral event in Haiti.
We laud the continued efforts of the Organisation of American States in assisting the Government and the social and political forces of Haiti in their efforts to strengthen democratic institutions and to contribute to an environment of peace and security in the country. CARICOM appreciates the efforts of the Secretary General and the Assistant Secretary General and the representatives of the Group Friends of Haiti in facilitating dialogue among the political forces in Haiti. They should not be discouraged by the fact that so far no consensus broad enough to achieve a National Accord to resolve the political crisis in a manner that would illicit the support of the international community has emerged.
CARICOM agrees with the OAS that the decision of the Haitian authorities to proceed with the elections on November 26, despite the absence of such an accord, avoids an interruption in the timetable for Presidential succession established by the Constitution of Haiti, but does not alter the need to ensure the broad political representation and citizen participation critical to the development of Haitian democracy. The Governments and Peoples of the Caribbean Community, fully conscious of the gravity of the socio-economic situation in Haiti, call upon the political forces in that country to demonstrate the goodwill and commitment necessary to create an environment that will be conducive to the effective utilisation of assistance from the regional and international communities.
