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DELEGATION OF OAS “GROUP OF FRIENDS OF HAITI” TO VISIT PORT-AU-PRINCE

  January 31, 2008


A delegation of Organization of American States (OAS) Permanent Council members as well as observer countries is due to visit Haiti in mid February. The visit will include meetings with government officials and a range of organizations and other sectors in Haiti, as well as on-site visits to a variety of projects being undertaken by the OAS, members of the inter-American system and other international institutions.

The proposed mid February visit was announced Wednesday during a meeting of the Group of Friends of Haiti, chaired by OAS Assistant Secretary General Albert R. Ramdin . Citing the second bi-annual report that Secretary General José Miguel Insulza recently presented to the Permanent Council, Ramdin noted the positive outlook that the OAS has been advocating with regard to Haiti.

“We see Haiti as a country with opportunities,” Ramdin explained to the representatives of member states, permanent observer countries and partner institutions at the meeting. He also observed that while it is a short-term effort, the proposed February visit would be useful—especially ahead of the next OAS General Assembly.

Ramdin also spoke about the success of the OAS civil registry project as well as training programs the organization has provided in the areas of democracy, development, trade and tourism. He also touched on the postponed elections to fill one-third of the vacancies in the Senate, and thanked the bilateral and multilateral donors and international financial institutions for their support to OAS programming for Haiti, and to Haiti itself.

Ambassador Duly Brutus, Haiti’s Permanent Representative to the OAS, encouraged his colleagues to visit Haiti so as to be able “to appreciate the progress achieved in the area of the strengthening of democratic institutions and the climate of ongoing dialogue between the Government and Haitian political forces, as well as the general stability the country has experienced.”

Reference: E-022/08