OAS Praises Haiti’s Progress in Fighting Drugs

  Original letter: http://www.palaisnational.info/pnh/texte_oea.htm 

Port-au-Prince, 26 February 2003-(AHP)–OAS Assistant Secretary General Luigi Einaudi today sent Haitian officials the report called “Evaluation of Progress on the Control of Drugs (2001-2002) Concerning Haiti as well as the Hemispheric Report for the Same Period.”

In a letter to the Haitian Foreign Ministry, Luigi Einaudi explained that this report is the product of the multilateral assessment that was done within the framework of the second evaluation phase of the Multilateral Evaluation Mechanism (MEM).

Mr. Einaudi emphasized the valuable work and active participation of two Haitian experts in the Group of Governmental Experts (GEG) who in 2002 made regular and invaluable contributions in 2002 in GEG meetings both in Washington and in Haiti.

The two Haitian experts are Rene Magloire and Max Gedeon Boutin.

Reporting that the first evaluation phase was an unprecedented occurrence in the history of the Americas, the OAS assistant secretary general affirmed that this report will make it possible to continue the evaluation process. He said that the process has special significance because it confirms once again the mandate that was issued at the second Summit of the Americas that was held in Santiago (Chile) as well as the collective contribution of the American continent.

For its part, CICAD (Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission) paid tribute to Haiti, which, it says, has made progress in several areas in the fight against drugs.

Although the master plan of the fight against drug trafficking has not yet been adopted in Haiti, the organization welcomed nevertheless the presidential decrees that were signed in May 2002 establishing a national commission to fight drugs and the appointment of a coordinator to supervise activities.

The diplomat noted that the cooperation of some international organizations and a nongovernmental group made it possible for Haiti to make progress in the broad evaluation of drug addiction in the country.

These efforts, he explained, were made not only with regard to the evaluation itself, but also in order to obtain direct aid based on results and priorities.

Luigi Einaudi emphasized that this report that has an impact on the continent makes it possible to adopt an updated approach to the situation that prevails in various regions of the American continent. It deals with strengthening institutions, faith based drug treatment programs, drug production, optional development programs, the detection and elimination of crimes, and health monitoring in critical areas such as drug abuse.

Finally, CICAD says it encourages member States to organize similar activities in their capitals in order to publicize further MEM reports and at the same time obtain the continent’s support in the multilateral evaluation process.

The tribute that Luigi Einaudi and CICAD paid to Haiti contrasts with a recent US State Department report that places Haiti on the list of countries that have reportedly not done enough in the fight against drugs.

[Description of Source:   Port-au-Prince AHP (Internet Version-WWW) in French — pro-Lavalas news agency]