Getting Haiti Back in The Business of Governing
By: Wolf Pamphile, Founder, Wolfp@HaitiPolicyHouse.org
Gloria Blaise, Director of Research, Gloriab@HaitiPolicyHouse.org
Naika Pierre, Director of Program Development, Naikap@HaitiPolicyHouse.org
An international intervention will likely happen in Haiti. Planning for the day and years after the intervention will determine its success. The UN and participating member states must apply a Whole of Government approach within their government to ensure short and long-term success in creating lasting structural changes in Haiti. For countries like the United States, a model already exists and has been operating in Haiti for decades, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
Although PEPFAR operates primarily within a health-focused scope, the framework can be adopted to address Haiti’s issues around security, democratization and institution building, humanitarian assistance, reconstruction, and economic development.
Since its inception in 2003, PEPFAR has expanded to over 50 countries with strong support from national and local governments and civil societies. As the largest donor to the initiative, the United States applied a Whole of Government approach, including the Department of Defense, State, Commerce, Labor, Health and Human Services, USAID, CDC, and more. Collectively, they work at the country level under the direction of the U.S. Ambassador/Chief of Mission. Each agency operates as subject matter experts within its field and ensures proper implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.
The initiative, which has become a global success story maintains an excellent reputation in Haiti and has garnered public and governmental support. Although PEPFAR operates primarily within a health-focused scope, the framework can be adopted to address Haiti’s issues around security, democratization and institution building, humanitarian assistance, reconstruction, and economic development.
Steps to implementation involve input and collaboration from the United States and UN member states with similar agencies. Establishing committees or working groups within specific areas of expertise and with clearly outlined leadership structures and responsibilities has the potential to replicate an effective path forward.
Necessary Agencies:
A moderate UN Peacekeeping force:
To support and provide breathing room where the Haitian police can rebuild itself, recruit officers, and repair internal structures.
Provide safe houses for women and vulnerable populations who seek refuge while the mission begins to address the gang crisis.
Stabilize the country, unblock and secure the supply chain, and allow the Haitian people to resume everyday life.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs: (Lead)
Using their existing presence, infrastructure, and human resources in Haiti to house the initiative under the direction of the Chief of Mission and a Haitian coalition of major political parties, civil societies, and the diaspora as described in inclusive movements like the Montana Accords.
Create a feedback platform for organizations, civil society, and the public to provide criticisms or file complaints about the mission’s activities and ensure transparency and inclusion at the community, national, and internationally level.
Defense agencies:
Implement preventive policies to stop the flow of illegal guns and drugs at the source by increasing cargo security and inspections.
Provide tactical training to Haiti’s army and police force.
Member states with expertise in combatting gang and political violence can serve as advisors to provide strategic support and guidance in addressing Haiti’s gang violence and reclaiming gang-held territories using a human-centered approach.
Foreign aid and health agencies:
Utilize existing Haitian networks of healthcare, education, agriculture, democracy, and trade to address food security, provide a lifeline to the healthcare system, development of Haitian-led grassroots initiatives to decrease violence and absenteeism in all aspects of public administration, including government employees, police officers, teachers, students.
E.g., Global Fragility Act to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability- “The U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability is a long-term initiative to redefine how the United States prevents violence and advances stability in areas vulnerable to conflict.”
Develop partnerships by establishing a memorandum of understanding with the Haitian people to promote and use foreign direct investment (FDI) to develop critical infrastructure in communities within and outside the major cities.
E.g., G7’s Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII) - “G7’s flagship infrastructure initiative which has attracted major investors to better respond to the global demand for high-quality infrastructure financing, in low- and middle-income countries.”
Assist Haitian-led solutions and policies for de-monopolizing and de-centralizing the economy and promoting small to medium-sized enterprises.
Strengthen aid transparency through tracking, coordination, and feedback services to increase accountability and trust.
Justice Departments:
Support the Haitian people in their efforts to modernize and staff the court system and investigate heinous human rights violations against the population (e.g., La Saline Massacre)
Provide support to the investigation into President Jovenel Moise’s assassination. It will be imperative to continue this investigation so as to mitigate the effect of fear and intimidation on potential political candidates who might otherwise avoid politics in fear of impunity. Address the first two issues to provide the population closure and rebuild trust in the justice system.
Support and implement a victim-centered, community-based restorative justice approach that focuses on the harm caused and what needs to happen for a peaceful resolution. The goal is to build understanding, encourage accountability, and provide healing opportunities. Qualitative research methods using envisioning and active listening will play a key role in defining these issues and identifying common entry points across the region’s communities to coordinate action toward restorative justice.
Enter into extra-jurisdictional agreements to extend accountability and the rule of law and facilitate prosecution of individuals who are contributing to Haiti’s violence and instability from abroad.
Launch short to midterm projects to address prisoners’ inhumane treatment and due process quickly.
Mediation:
CARICOM’s proximity and ongoing relationship with the current Haitian government and major political parties, positions the regional organization to step into the role of mediator throughout the process to address any dispute quickly.
Closing Statement
It is critical that actors adopt a Whole of Government approach to prevent counterintuitive plans and ensure that each participating member state has a holistic approach to supporting Haiti. PEPFAR, at its core is prevention-oriented, and it is this directive that provides a replicable framework within which Haiti, the UN, the dedicated healthcare providers, and the countries supporters can reconceptualize their efforts to prevent conflict and promote stability.