Holness leads CARICOM mission to Haiti

Jamaica Prime Minister Andrew Holness, left, and Haiti Prime Minister Ariel Henry met on Monday, February 27, 2023 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti during a special mission of the Caribbean Community. Courtesy of Haitian government
Jamaica Prime Minister Andrew Holness, left, and Haiti Prime Minister Ariel Henry met on Monday, February 27, 2023 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti during a special mission of the Caribbean Community. Courtesy of Haitian government

In keeping with the decision of CARICOM Heads of Government at their 44th Regular Meeting in Nassau, The Bahamas, 15-17 February 2023, a CARICOM Special Mission went to Haiti yesterday February 27, 2023 for a one day working visit. 

A release from CARICOM said that the mission, led by Prime Minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness, met with the interim Prime Minister of Haiti, Dr. Ariel Henry, the Director General of the Haitian National Police and with a variety of stakeholders including representatives of the High Transition Council, Political Accords, Political Parties, Civil Society, Religious Groups, and the Private Sector.

The release said that the  Mission was the first opportunity for CARICOM officials to observe the situation on the ground and directly engage stakeholders in the continuing search for a solution to the on-going situation in Haiti.  The complex socio-economic and political challenge is characterized by protracted instability and destabilizing gang violence. 

The delegation comprised representatives of The Bahamas, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security and the CARICOM Secretariat. It included Kamina Johnson-Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica, Wayne Munroe Minister of National Security  of The Bahamas and his colleague Keith Bell Minister of Labour and Immigration, the High Commissioner of Trinidad and Tobago to Canada, Dennis Moses, the Executive Director of the CARICOM IMPACS, Lt. Col. Michael Jones and the Chef de Cabinet in the office of the CARICOM Secretary General, Dr. Tres-Ann Kremer.