Mr. Chairman, Hédi Annabi, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations,
Honourable Gerard Latortue, Interim Prime Minister of the Republic of Haiti,
Ambassador Juan Gabriel Valdés, United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary General in Haiti,
Distinguished Ambassadors and Colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen:

1. First of all, permit me to thank the United Nations Secretary General for agreeing to hold a Core Group meeting on Haiti at this very opportune moment. The OAS is pleased to participate in this meeting and to make the following remarks.

2. The presidential and legislative elections held on February 7th, 2006, must be seen as a critical and historic event in Haitian history. Among other aspects, it is closing a difficult chapter which emanated in part from the dispute surrounding the year 2000 legislative elections.

3. Therefore, and on behalf of the OAS, I would like to extend our sincere congratulations to the People of Haiti, the Interim Prime Minister and his Government, the Provisional Electoral Council and in particular its Director General, Mr. Jacques Bernard, Ambassador Juan Gabriel Valdés and MINUSTAH, the numerous national and international observers, and all others involved in ensuring that the February elections were held successfully and in a transparent fashion.

4. In addition to the holding of successful elections, we must also recognize the importance of the efforts made by the current Haitian authorities and the international community to lay the groundwork for a solid electoral system, including the introduction of a new electoral law and new procedures, the conducting of a massive voter registration exercise, the establishment of a national identification card and an updated, electronic voters’ data base, as well as incorporating the most modern electoral technology into the process and training thousands of Haitians in electoral and registry operations.

5. Despite the on-going challenges, in terms of completing this year’s electoral calendar, let us acknowledge the advances made and seek to continue this positive trend. The time to pursue positive change is now - - let us not miss this opportunity and fail the people of Haiti at this important juncture. We must build on the success achieved so far.

6. Of course, the future of Haiti remains very much a complex work in progess, and a situation in continual evolution. More than ever, we need to support Haitians in fully taking ownership of that future and their own development.

7. The challenge starts now in terms of maintaining an environment of peace and stability, of encouragement and constructive engagement, and creating a climate that is conducive for change, social and economic reconstruction and the strengthening of the state and private sector as engines for growth.

8. Regarding the weeks and months to come, it is our hope that the transfer of power from the interim Government to President-elect René Préval be smooth and forward-looking, with the swift appointment of a Prime Minister and cabinet that will set the tone for a government of inclusion and broad-based consensus.

9. It is imperative that the vote tabulation process for the February elections be concluded as quickly as possible, and preparations made for the holding of the second round of legislative elections before the new government takes office.

10. Similarly, it is critical that the preparations for, and holding of, local and municipal elections not slip off the agenda of the Haitian authorities. A full return to constitutional and democratic order in Haiti will not be complete without the timely holding of elections for local representatives.

11. In the immediate and longer term, we must also be prepared to help the Haitians and the Haitian authorities to engage in a necessary process of social dialogue, national reconciliation and consensus-building on the minimum agenda to move forward for broad, inclusive and durable development and democratic consolidation.
12. On the security front, there is a continuing need for an international military presence, under the aegis of MINUSTAH, to remain vigilant and supportive, for as long as the Haitian authorities wish it to remain.

13. However, parallel to this, and critical for public security in Haiti, is the strengthening and professionalization of the Haitian National Police. Indeed, this, in our view, is one of the most urgent areas for attention.

14. Equally as important is turning full attention to the building of a strong, equitable and accessible judiciary, and the building of a Haitian state upon the rule of law.

15. We are encouraged by the plans already being made to hold discussions at the earliest opportunity with the in-coming Haitian authorities, regarding the post-election scenario and the support which the international community could provide to the Haitian people and the new government in the months and years to come.

16. In that regard, we applaud the initiative to extend and improve the Interim Cooperation Framework as a prime mechanism for Haiti-international community cooperation and donor coordination, and would like to signal the keen interest of the OAS to participate fully in the evolution and operations of this mechanism.

17. It will be important that the new Haitian authorities, together with Haitian society at large, move quickly to prepare an agenda of short-term as well as medium- to long-term actions for a profound social and economic development process in the country. This should be brought under a single, integral plan, with strong collaboration from the international community. Efficient coordination among supporting partners will also be essential, based on the strength of the different institutions involved, and linked to the needs identified by the Haitians themselves.

18. Given the critical situation in the country, short term humanitarian efforts need to be intensified significantly, channeled through both government and NGOs.

19. Long-term assistance will be necessary in a number of key areas such as the overall strengthening of the state apparatus, job creation, promoting investments, education, infrastructure, sanitation, social welfare programs, and so on.

20. In addition to social and economic development, it is imperative that priority attention be paid to consolidating democratic institutions and practices in Haiti. In that regard, we are pleased to note that the ICF considers this to be one of its critical pillars for future support and wish to reiterate the commitment of the OAS to work together with the Haitians and with our international partners in these and other issues.

21. Specifically in the field of democratic development, I wish to reiterate our concern that the experience of past Haitian elections not be repeated and that we work assiduously to ensure that the investment of the interim Government and of the international community in the current electoral process not be lost for the future building and consolidation of a permanent electoral institution and a modern, integrated civil registry and identification system.

22. The OAS stands ready to build upon the work already conducted in these areas, in partnership with the appropriate Haitian and international institutions, in order to secure for the Haitian people a professional, permanent CEP, a permanent electoral registry system and a national civil registry and identification system that must be an essential part of the democratic institution-building in the country.

23. The OAS also stands ready to continue and intensify its work in the areas of human rights, the judiciary, and peace and reconciliation, in accordance with the interest of the new authorities.


24. I close my remarks with my congratulations, once again, to the interim Government for creating the conditions necessary for arriving at the holding of this month’s elections and hope that they will continue their resolve to see us through the critical second round of elections, now pending. But, above all, I reiterate our congratulations to the Haitian people for the unequivocal confirmation of their democratic vocation, as witnessed on February 7, 2006 with the massive participation and enthusiasm displayed in the democratic exercise of voting.