Jamaica will host a high-level meeting on Haiti on Monday, to be convened under the aegis of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
A release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Saturday said the meeting follows on engagements which have been under way with Haitian stakeholders.
Prime Minister Holness affirmed the importance of welcoming his CARICOM colleague heads and representatives of key international development partners who have been focused on supporting the people of Haiti through the multifaceted crises, which are currently affecting this sister Caribbean country.
He confirmed that the meeting under current Chair of Conference President Irfaan Ali of Guyana, will seek to advance discussions on support for Haiti as well as the way forward for Haitian governance pursuant to Haitian-led and Haitian-owned solutions, which have been facilitated under the guidance of the CARICOM Eminent Persons Group (EPG).
The EPG is comprised of former prime ministers Bruce Golding of Jamaica, Perry Christie of The Bahamas, and Kenny Anthony of St Lucia.
While asserting Jamaica’s urgent and deepening concern about the daily deterioration in Haiti’s security circumstances, and its implications not only for the people of Haiti but for the region as a whole, he advised that the seriousness of the situation would be signalled by the participation of CARICOM heads of government from The Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, and St Vincent and the Grenadines, as well as the eight international partner countries and the United Nations invited by the Heads of Government.
This meeting will be the latest in a series of facilitation efforts by the regional bloc to advance political dialogue and consensus in Haiti.
Jamaica’s hosting of the meeting falls within the context of its ongoing key role in CARICOM’s response to the situation in Haiti, including the Community’s contribution to and advocacy for greater international support for the United Nations Security Council sanctioned Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission to Haiti.
