Situation could deteriorate further
April 10, 2008 -- Assistant Secretary General Albert Ramdin April 9, led an Organization of
American States delegation to the United States Congress, where they
briefed members of the House of Representatives Subcommittee on the
Western Hemisphere on developments in Haiti and called for urgent,
short-term assistance to address immediate needs for jobs and economic
development.
The House of Representatives Western Hemisphere
Subcommittee Chairman, Elliot Engel; Yvette Clarke (New York); Barbara
Lee (California); and Donald Payne (New Jersey) were the Members of
Congress on hand for the briefing, along with senior staffers
representing other members of Congress.
For their part, the OAS
delegation that included member state ambassadors and senior
Secretariat officials talked about Haiti’s urgent need for short-term
job-creation and poverty alleviation, particularly in the wake of
demonstrations this week, triggered by the rising cost of living.
Unless something is done urgently, the situation could deteriorate even
further, they warned, with Ramdin also suggesting the need for some
form of a social safety net.
The Assistant Secretary General
and the ambassadors also spoke about the vital role being played by the
hemispheric organization to help consolidate gains already made in the
country, including with respect to a relative stability in the
political arena and public security. In order to secure those gains,
the international community must help deliver some concrete “wins” on
the ground by way of results, they argued, reiterating a readiness to
explore with the Haitian government how to further support its
development objectives.
They also updated the Members of
Congress on developments on the ground in Haiti, particularly after
their first-hand observation and from meetings with political leaders,
civil society and the private sector during their visit to the
Caribbean country last February, to demonstrate solidarity and to view
OAS projects. The OAS members highlighted the important collaboration
between the OAS and other international organizations engaged with
Haiti, while arguing for a much better coordination of aid to the
country. The OAS officials also stressed their support for temporary
protected status for Haitian nationals living in the United States, and
asked for congressional support to pass the Hemispheric Opportunity
through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) Act-II to promote economic
development and investment in Haiti.
Besides expressing their
willingness to do whatever they can to help Haiti, the Members of
Congress offered perspectives on many of the issues, emphasizing among
others the vital need to ensure an appropriate infrastructure for
education as a strategy to redress poverty and other problems.
Included
on the OAS delegation that visited Capitol Hill were: Ambassadors
Cornelius A. Smith (Bahamas); Osmar Chohfi (Brazil); Graeme Clark
(Canada); Duly Brutus (Haiti); and Hector Morales (United States).
Suzanne Laporte, Secretary for External Relations, also participated in
the OAS briefing.