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OAS and Haiti Government Announce $1.5 Million Contribution from Private Sector to Cadastre Project

The Organization of American States (OAS) and the Haitian Ministry of Public Works, Transportation, and Communications today announced a contribution of $1.5 million from the private sector to the project FONCIER HAITI, elaborated by ONACA (National Cadastre Office) and the OAS.

The contribution is from Stewart Global Solutions, ESRI and Trimble Navigation, and will allow the government of Haiti to make short-term use of software and hardware equipment through FONCIER HAITI, as well as training and consulting. The contribution is in addition to the strategic cadastre and registration work the OAS has been conducting since June of this year in Haiti, which includes a coordinating cadastre team that works closely with ONACA to make initial assessments and address the most pressing operational needs.

The Secretary General of the OAS, José Miguel Insulza, recalled the importance of cadastre modernization in Haiti. "Less than five percent of land is documented or registered, and for as long as there are only traditional customs the possibility of attracting foreign investment will not exist," he said. He added that the culmination of the project will impact the efforts of recovery of businesses and the economic development of the country, a task especially crucial after the devastating earthquake of January 12, which is why the initiative is a priority to the continental organization.

The Assistant Secretary General of the OAS, Albert Ramdin, highlighted that "the leadership of the Haitian government, as the owner of this task, must be our guiding principle." And in the view of a necessary coordination of aid that the international community is providing in this task, Ambassador Ramdin described the role of the hemispheric Organization "as a platform for partnerships, one where we can all agree on how to face this challenge that will be a long-term project."

The project FONCIER HAITI, the purpose of which is the modernization of the cadastre and infrastructure of property rights, has the technical support of experts and institutions of the greatest international prestige, such as Quebec's Office of Cadastre, the Public Administration University of Quebec (ENAP), GeoQuebec, Stewart Global Solutions and the Institute for Freedom and Democracy (ILD), and is expected to be implemented in two phases that will be carried out during a period of seven years.

The first phase will address the needs of the cadastre based on the process of reconstruction, will carry out an important initiative to sensitize society, the legislative powers and political leaders, and will strengthen the institutional structure through personnel training.

During the second phase, a solid and sustained infrastructure of cadastre and registry will be developed, modernizing the framework and generating presence in all departments of the country. Participation of communities and respect for the rights of the most vulnerable groups constitute fundamental aspects of the project FONCIER HAITI.

Stewart Global Solutions, ESRI and Trimble Navigation have a renowned international leadership in different areas related to cadastre and property registration, and a long trajectory of collaboration with the OAS, and since the launching of the project have dedicated important efforts of Corporate Social Responsibility to FONCIER HAITI.

For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org.

Reference: E-399/10