OEA/Ser.G
CP/RES. 806 (1303/02) corr. 1
16 January 2002
Original: English
THE SITUATION IN HAITI
THE PERMANENT COUNCIL OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES,
DEEPLY CONCERNED by the violence that occurred in Haiti, in particular
the events of July 28 and December 17, 2001, and the worsening political,
economic, and social situation in that country;
CONCERNED by the current impasse in negotiations to resolve the
continuing political crisis;
HAVING SEEN the Fifth Report of the Mission of the Organization of
American States: "Progress Toward An Initial Accord" (CP/doc.
3541/02);
RECALLING that the General Assembly, in resolution AG/RES. 1831 (XXXI-O/01),
reiterated its deep concern at the continuing political crisis in Haiti,
arising from irregularities in the elections of May 21, 2000, and
instructed the Secretary General to increase his efforts to help find a
solution to the political crisis, to further the social and economic
development of Haiti, to strengthen democracy, and to promote respect for
human rights in that country;
RECALLING ALSO that the Permanent Council, in resolution CP/RES. 772
(1247/00) of August 4, 2000, at the request of the Government of Haiti,
authorized the Secretary General to lead a Mission to Haiti to
"identify, together with the Government of Haiti and other sectors of
the political community and civil society, options and recommendations for
resolving, as expeditiously as possible, difficulties such as those that
have arisen from differing interpretations of the Electoral Law, and for
further strengthening democracy in that country," and that there have
been numerous missions since that time for that purpose;
BEARING IN MIND:
That the OAS Charter establishes that representative democracy is an
indispensable condition for the stability, peace, and development of the
region and that one of the essential purposes of the Organization is to
promote and consolidate representative democracy, with due respect for the
principle of nonintervention; and
That the Inter-American Democratic Charter, adopted by the special
session of the General Assembly in Lima, Peru, on September 11, 2001,
states that the peoples of the Americas have a right to democracy and that
their governments have an obligation to promote and defend it; and that
"essential elements of representative democracy include, inter alia,
respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, access to and the
exercise of power in accordance with the rule of law, the holding of
periodic, free, and fair elections based on secret balloting and universal
suffrage as an expression of the sovereignty of the people, the
pluralistic system of political parties and organizations, and the
separation of powers and independence of the branches of government";
TAKING NOTE of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide's condemnation of
violence from any source, the statements issued by the Secretary General
regarding the events of December 17, 2001, and the subsequent violence and
the communiqués of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on
attacks and threats against journalists;
TAKING NOTE also that the Government of Haiti has initiated an inquiry
into the December 17, 2001, events, which included an attack against the
presidential palace and violence against the headquarters of political
parties and the residences of private individuals;
CONVINCED that the worsening political situation in Haiti, which has
most recently led to the violent events of December 17, 2001, demonstrates
that there is an urgent need to strengthen institutions of representative
democracy in that country;
ENCOURAGED by the interest and willingness expressed by the Government
of Haiti to collaborate with the international community in efforts at
resolving the ongoing political crisis in Haiti; and
TAKING NOTE of the decision of CARICOM to urgently dispatch to Haiti a
special high-level mission to evaluate the situation in that country,
RESOLVES:
1. To condemn the loss of life and the destruction of property
resulting from the events of December 17, 2001.
2. To urge the Government of Haiti, all political parties, civil
society, and other relevant institutions of Haitian society to condemn and
work towards ending all forms of political violence.
3. To accompany the Government of Haiti's interest and willingness to
work jointly with the international community to find a solution to the
current political crisis by establishing an OAS Mission, in accordance
with AG/RES. 1831 (XXXI-O/01) of the General Assembly of the OAS, to work
in the spirit of the OAS Charter and the Inter-American Democratic
Charter.
4. To call upon the Government of Haiti to pursue diligently all
efforts to restore a climate of security that is a necessary condition for
resuming OAS-sponsored negotiations, including:
a. the completion of a thorough, independent inquiry into the events
related to December 17, 2001;
b. the prosecution of any person, and dismissal, when appropriate, of
any person found to be complicit in the violence of December 17, 2001, and
subsequent days;
c. the completion of a thorough inquiry into all politically-motivated
crimes;
d. reparations for organizations and individuals who suffered damages
as a direct result of the violence of December 17, 2001;
e. an invitation to the OAS to send representatives to Haiti to
investigate and assess the situation and to assist the Government and
people of Haiti in strengthening their democratic system and institutions,
and
f. an invitation to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to
conduct an on-site visit to Haiti.
5. To commend the Secretary General for his constructive efforts as
detailed in the Fifth Report of the Mission of the Organization of
American States: "Progress Toward An Initial Accord"
(CP/doc.3541/02).
6. To call upon the international community to provide effective and
concrete support to the Government of Haiti, Haitian civil society, and
democratic political parties that operate within the Haitian constitution
and the rule of law, in an effort to strengthen the Haitian democratic
institutions.
7. To call upon the Government of Haiti and all political parties, with
the support of civil society and other relevant institutions in Haiti, to
resume OAS-sponsored negotiations as a matter of urgency, as soon as
conditions are conducive to discussions, with a view to reaching an
agreement to resolve the political crisis in Haiti.
8. To reaffirm the mandate of the Secretary General in accordance with
AG/RES. 1831 (XXXI-O/01) and to instruct him, in consultation with CARICOM
and the Group of Friends of Haiti, to continue his efforts to contribute
further to the resolution of the current political crisis in Haiti by:
a. monitoring events in Haiti, including respect for the essential
elements of representative democracy, and compliance with any accords that
may result from OAS-sponsored negotiations, and
b. helping the Government of Haiti in the strengthening of its
democratic processes and institutions.
9. To instruct the Secretary General to assign technical experts to the
OAS Mission to Haiti, to help the Government in the development and
strengthening of its democratic political process and institutions.
10. To instruct the Secretary General, as progress is achieved in
reaching a sustainable solution to the crisis arising from the May 21,
2000, elections, to continue to work jointly with member states toward
normalizing relations between Haiti and the international community,
especially the international financial institutions, and to report on his
progress.
11. To ask the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, within its
area of competence, to undertake an on-site visit to Haiti to consult with
civil society, political parties, and the Government of Haiti in order to
analyze and report on current conditions and the events related to
December 17, 2001.
12. To call upon the Government of Haiti to guarantee to the said OAS
Mission under reference at paragraph 3 above and to the Inter-American
Commission on Human Rights, as well as those international NGOs with a
recognized presence in Haiti, free and safe access to all elements of
Haitian civil society, including the press and opposition parties.
13. To call upon the Group of Friends of Haiti, established in
accordance with the provisions of AG/RES. 1831 (XXXI-O/01) and made up of
interested OAS member states and permanent observers, to remain engaged in
assisting the Secretary General in these efforts.
14. To instruct the Secretary General to provide an interim report to
the Permanent Council as soon as possible, but not later than March 31,
2002, and a full report to the General Assembly at its thirty-second
regular session on the implementation of this resolution.
15. To request the Secretary General to transmit this resolution to the
Secretary-General of the United Nations.