OAS Chief Albert Ramdin makes Haiti his top priority
Published:Sunday | July 13, 2025 | 12:06 AMErica Virtue - Senior Gleaner Writer
Finding lasting solutions to Haiti’s deepening political, security, and governance crises is a top priority for Organisation of American States (OAS) Secretary General, Ambassador Albert Ramdin, during his 2025-2030 tenure.
“I have made Haiti a priority and we are working very hard on Haiti currently. That is an effort that goes to the heart of the OAS, in terms of its core principles, about democracy, human rights, security and about development. And in Haiti, regretfully, all these issues are challenged at the moment, in the absence of a legitimate government,” he told The Sunday Gleaner in an interview last week.
Forced migration from Haiti to nearby Caribbean nations like Jamaica and The Bahamas underscores the regional impact of the crisis. Ramdin reiterated his commitment to re-establishing the ‘Group of Friends of Haiti’ within the OAS and collaborating closely with CARICOM and international stakeholders.
“I had good conversations in Jamaica about Haiti with the CARICOM leaders, with the Honourable Prime Minister Andrew Holness. And I want to make sure that we are clear about it,” said Ramdin, who attended the CARICOM Heads of Government Meeting in Montego Bay, St James, last week.
He praised CARICOM for its work in the search for solutions.
“CARICOM has done great work in facilitating a process of governance by bringing together stakeholders to form the Transitional Presidential Council as a form of governance in absence of elections of a parliament and a cabinet government. I know that we need to work towards that end. But I salute CARICOM’s efforts of the Eminent Persons Group, the CARICOM chairpersons of Guyana and Suriname and also Barbados and now Jamaica,” said Ramdin.
Long-term strategy
The OAS, he added, will align its efforts with CARICOM’s framework and contribute to a broader, long-term strategy under a five-pillar ‘Haitian Road Map’ developed with Haitian authorities. The first critical focus: restoring security, especially access to vulnerable communities.
“We need better security in Haiti. We need access roads to people who are in need of assistance to be free. We need the ports secure. And so security in different manifestations need to be addressed. Security and humanitarian assistance are to be provided, but they need to be well organised,” he stated.
“Once this plan is developed and we are in the final stages of it, it will be presented to the Haitian authorities. It will be presented to other stakeholders, including the United Nations and CARICOM. We want to showcase how much is already being done in terms of assisting Haiti,” said Ramdin.
The OAS is also working on citizen identification projects to support future elections and democratic processes. Coordination meetings with CARICOM and the United Nations are expected by month-end to consolidate efforts and avoid duplication.
In addition to the OAS, other regional and international agencies – such as the Inter-American Development Bank, Pan American Health Organization, and Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture – are engaged in Haiti’s recovery.
Beyond food and water, Ramdin said there must be focus on education, healthcare, and getting children back in school.
“We need to get the political stakeholders which have been mobilised by CARICOM to develop a forward-looking agenda for Haiti, in terms of political and constitutional reform, as well as economic rebuilding. Key issues on health and education and security should lead us to elections,” he explained.
Despite its unique challenges, Haiti shares common issues with other Caribbean nations – climate change, debt burdens, migration, and underdeveloped education systems – which demand a unified regional response.