AG/RES. 1831 (XXXI-O/01)
SUPPORT FOR DEMOCRACY IN HAITI
(Resolution adopted at the fourth plenary
session,
held on June 5, 2001)
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,
BEARING IN MIND:
That the preamble of the OAS Charter establishes that representative
democracy is an indispensable condition for the stability, peace, and
development of the region;
That, according to the Charter, one of the essential purposes of the
Organization is to promote and consolidate representative democracy, with due
respect for the principle of nonintervention;
That another purpose is to promote, by cooperative action, economic,
social, and cultural development;
The Santiago Commitment to Democracy and the Renewal of the
Inter-American System (1991), the Declaration of Managua (1993), and the
declarations and plans of action of the Summits of the Americas (Miami, 1994;
Santiago, 1998);
That the Heads of State and Government at the Third Summit of the
Americas, emphasized their commitment to defend and strengthen democracy across
the Hemisphere; and
The commitment of the OAS and of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to
continue their contributions to the strengthening of democracy in Haiti;
RECALLING the conclusions of the OAS Electoral Observation Mission to
Haiti on the elections of May 21, 2000, presented in the report to the
Permanent Council (CP/doc.3383/00);
RECALLING ALSO resolution CP/RES. 772 (1247/00) of August 4, 2000, in
which the Permanent Council, 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”[EB1];
TAKING NOTE of the reports to the Permanent Council by the General
Secretariat regarding the visits to Haiti by the Secretary General and the Assistant
Secretary General during the period from August 16, 2000, to February 10, 2001,
and of the reports of those missions contained in documents CP/doc.3349/00, of
August 24, 2000, CP/doc.3371/00, of November 9, 2000, and CP/doc.3419/01 corr.
2, of March 13, 2001;
The statement made by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship of
Haiti before the Permanent Council on March 14, 2001;
Resolution CP/RES. 786 (1267/01) corr. 1, in which the Permanent Council
resolved: “To express the conviction that
the resolution of the crisis arising from the Haitian elections of May 21, 2000
is essential to the strengthening of democracy and respect for human rights in
Haiti[EB2]”;
That the said resolution also
requested “the Secretary General to
undertake the necessary consultations with the Government of Haiti and other
sectors of the political community and civil society, bearing in mind the
statement by the Haitian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship, on the
potential for a dialogue to resolve the crisis arising from the elections of
May 21, 2000 and the strengthening of democracy and respect for human rights in
Haiti” and to “report on his consultations, and, as appropriate, to propose
other measures that could contribute to the strengthening of the democratic
process in Haiti[EB3]”;
The statement made by the Chair of the Third Summit of the Americas, the
Prime Minister of Canada, during the closing ceremony on April 22, 2001, which
acknowledged the problems that continue to limit the democratic, political,
economic, and social development of Haiti in the near future and asked the
Secretary General, in collaboration with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), to
visit Haiti, to report his findings to the OAS, and to ensure adequate
follow-up;
The May 9, 2001, decision by the Chairman of the CARICOM Conference, the
Prime Minister of Barbados, and the Secretary General of the OAS to establish a
joint OAS/CARICOM Mission to Haiti; and
The visit of the Joint OAS-CARICOM Mission from May 29 to 31, 2001, led
by the Secretary General and the former Prime Minister of Dominica, Dame
Eugenia Charles, the report on which is contained in document AG/INF.264/01;
CONCERNED that the political crisis is still unresolved and that persistent mistrust among political actors continues to hinder the possibility of wide-ranging talks that would bring about a sustainable solution to the problems arising from the May 21, 2000, elections, based on a general agreement among the government of Haiti, political parties, and civil society and other relevant institutions of Haitian society, with a view to resolving the political crisis and strengthening democracy and respect for human rights in that country;
RECOGNIZING the need for financial and technical assistance with a view
to contributing to the promotion of Haiti’s social and economic development;
and
HAVING RECEIVED a letter from the President of Haiti to the President of the thirty-first regular session of the General Assembly of the OAS, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship of Costa Rica (AG/INF.260/01 corr. 1),
RESOLVES:
1. To reiterate its deep concern at the continuing
political crisis in Haiti, arising from the elections of May 21, 2000.
2. To take note of the initiative, consisting of
five elements, contained in the letter from the President of Haiti
(AG/INF.260/01 corr. 1) with regard to the process toward a definitive
resolution to the current political crisis.
3. To acknowledge the concerns expressed in said
letter regarding the urgency of normalizing relations between Haiti and the
international financial institutions.
4. To urge the Government of Haiti to follow the
resignations of seven senators with the expeditious constitution, by June 25,
2001, of a credible, independent, and neutral Provisional Electoral Council
(CEP), composed of nine members nominated by the Executive, the Judiciary,
political parties–including the Convergence démocratique, Fanmi Lavalas, and
other political parties–and churches, both Catholic and Protestant. This is a necessary step to create a climate
of confidence conducive to a broad-based agreement among the Government of
Haiti, political parties, and civil society, and other relevant institutions of
Haitian society, with a view to resolving the political crisis and
strengthening democracy and respect for human rights in Haiti.
5. To call upon the Government of Haiti, political
parties, and civil society, and other relevant institutions of Haitian society
to commit themselves fully to this end.
6. To instruct the Secretary General to monitor
and report to the Permanent Council on implementation of the commitments
contained in document AG/INF.260/01 corr. 1.
7. To instruct the Secretary General to increase
his efforts, in consultation with CARICOM and with other interested countries,
to contribute further to the resolution of the existing political crisis in
Haiti, to its social and economic development, to the strengthening of
democracy, and to respect for human rights in that country.
8. To invite the Secretary General to establish a
Group of Friends of Haiti from interested OAS member states and permanent
observers to assist him in these efforts.
9. To request the Permanent Council to examine, as
a matter of urgency, the mandate, modalities, budget, financing, and other
arrangements concerning the establishment of a possible mission to Haiti.
10. To instruct the Secretary General to work jointly with member states toward normalizing relations between Haiti and the international community, including the international financial institutions, as progress is achieved in reaching a sustainable solution to the crisis arising from the May 21, 2000, elections.
11. To
instruct the Secretary General to report to the Permanent Council or the
General Assembly, as appropriate, on the implementation of this resolution.