Above: Thomas Adams, special coordinator for Haiti at the US State Department and OAS SG Albert Ramdin (OAS Photo)
By the Caribbean Journal staff
The region’s commitment to Haiti’s reconstruction should not wane, according to Organization of American States Assistant Secretary General Albert Ramdin.
The OAS official was speaking this week at an event organized by the Pan American Development Foundation and the Woodrow Wilson Centre in Washington, DC to discuss “What It Takes to Build Back Better in Haiti.”
Ramdin said Haiti remained high on the agenda for the OAS, which continues to work to mobilize support for Haiti across the Americas.
But while the commitment from the international community has been “unprecedented,” Ramdin said there was a “limited window of opportunity for Haiti to experience this level of commitment.”
“I would hope that international commitment would not wane, but the reality is that global and domestic pressures have caused priorities to be reassessed for many countries,” he said. “A foundation has been laid in Haiti and the government is working to ensure this foundation is built upon. Political stability, economic stimulation, education and employment remain priorities which we share.”
He also said that Haiti’s current Chairmanship of CARICOM means the country can focus simultaneously on both regional and domestic issues.
“Three years after the earthquake, we all must reassess what we have learned, what we have achieved, and how we should adjust our approach,” he said. “Our commitment to Haiti should not wane. Haiti’s progress is an indicator of our region’s success or failure.”