CARICOM Eminent Persons Group due in Haiti on Wednesday

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC -The three-member CARICOM  Eminent Persons Group (EPG) on Haiti is due to arrive there on Wednesday in continuation of the efforts of the regional integration movement to find a solution to the political and socio-economic situation there, Jamaica's Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister, Kamina Johnson Smith has said.

She told a news conference that the group, headed by former St Lucia prime minister Dr Kenny Anthony and including his two former prime ministerial colleagues, Bruce Golding of Jamaica and Perry Christie of the Bahamas, would continue to meet with government and other Haitian stakeholders, while in Port au Prince.

“The Eminent Persons Group is actually arriving in Haiti today for their next round of stakeholder consultations, which will take place over the next three day,” she told reporters.

The meetings in the French-speaking CARICOM country are a follow up to the three-day consultation on Haiti that was held in Jamaica last month in an effort to build consensus and allow inclusive participation in a neutral environment.

The EPG has been tasked, along with a small team comprising the technical expertise in mediation, security, and political research supported by the CARICOM Secretariat, to facilitate consultations with Haitian stakeholders.

The EPG will initiate and oversee the CARICOM's provision of Good Offices support in designated priority areas, including security, governance, the electoral process, and long-term development planning and advocacy. They will also liaise with key international partners and agencies.

Johnson Smith told reporters that Jamaica was pleased with the outcome of the deliberations held during the 45th CARICOM summit held in Port of Spain last week with regards to Haiti saying “we in fact made far more significant progress in terms of determining as a body of member states what is needed for us to support Haitian led solutions and indeed sustainable head led Haitian solutions in their efforts to return to peace and stability.

“I think at this meeting, there was demonstrated greater cohesion, and greater clarity. All of the heads present and, in fact, most, if not all, visiting guests, commended CARICOM for the work that they have been doing and commended the work of the Eminent Persons Group and express appreciation to the government of Jamaica for hosting in a neutral, safe and inclusive way.”

She said that the more than 50 stakeholders who came and engaged in the Kingston talks also “made significant progress in that regard.

“So the meeting in Port of Spain was able to harness that goodwill and to acknowledge the need for example, of the immediate creation of a humanitarian and a security stabilisation corridor under the mandate of a United Nations Security Council resolution”

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