Legal identity forms the cornerstone of a person’s visibility to the state and allows individuals to access the gains of global development. Identification cards in particular are required to vote, own a financial account, access land, enroll in school, among other key services.
In Haiti, the OAS and the National Office of Identification (ONI), have a long history of cooperation. In fact, the country’s national identification card was first distributed in 2006 with the support of the OAS. The Carte d’Identification Nationale (CIN) now serves as a national identity document, and it is the only document that allows citizens to vote.
In 2019, ONI initiated a nationwide registration process to update its database and issue new biometric cards. The institution sought assistance from the OAS to bolster its capabilities in reaching populations that had either not registered or had registered but not yet received their new identification card. Leveraging its 13 years of expertise in civil registration and identification in Haiti, the OAS General Secretariat agreed to provide such support through PUICA/DEPM.
In 2023, the OAS initiated a project aimed at enhancing ONI’s technical and operational capabilities and promoting public awareness about the significance of civil identity. It is scheduled to last until mid-2025 and it builds upon the steps the national institution is already taking toward ensuring that all Haitian adults can access the new identification card. These efforts are being carried out with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Ministry of Affairs of Japan and they are structured along three axes.
Firstly, in order to strengthen and speed up the citizen registration process, the OAS is focusing on expanding ONI’s reach in the country’s territory through deployment of mobile units for the registration and issuance of new cards.
The second component is the design and implementation of a comprehensive nation-wide awareness campaign. This initiative is dedicated to informing citizens about the registration process, providing details on registration unit deployment dates and locations, and emphasizing the crucial role of civil identity in enabling the exercise of various rights. The campaign will take on a gender-sensitive approach, and will involve active consultations with civil society organizations, including women, youth and LGBTI person’s organizations.
Institutional strengthening of the ONI is the third key component of the project, centered around ensuring sustainability of the activities after 2025. To this end, the OAS team in Haiti closely works ONI authorities to better understand the institution’s strategies and needs. The OAS will also assist ONI in the development and initial implementation of a strategic plan.