TO CIVIL SOCIETY MEETING

4th March 2004

OUR FORWARD POLICY ON HAITI

BIS Photo - Derek Smith:  Minister Mitchell addresses Civil Society; seated at left are H.E. Dr. Eugene Newry, Bahamas Ambassador to Haiti; at right is Civil Society Moderator H.E. Ambassador A. Leonard Archer, Bahamas Ambassador to CARICOM.

The events of the last few days in Haiti have concerned many of us. CARICOM has issued a comprehensive statement to which the Government of The Bahamas adheres. I wish to begin with a quotation from that statement which addresses the issue of where we go to from now. Even as we seek to discover the facts of what happened, as most instructive of how we ought to relate to the international community in the future, the present is very much upon us. It is that present and the de facto situation on the ground in Haiti today that I wish to address.

The excerpt from the statement reads as follows: "Heads of Government reiterated their commitment to the people of Haiti and their intention to remain constructively engaged in the effort to create the conditions considered necessary for their long term safety, well being and progress. In keeping with UN resolution 1529, Heads of Government agreed to participate in the follow on UN stabilization force in efforts to provide humanitarian assistance, the building of the economy, and civil society and the reconstruction of the democratic structures, processes and institutions of the country."

Those then who question the commitment of the Caribbean Community to the on going developments in Haiti should rethink their criticisms. It is clear that a strong emphasis is to be placed on how one builds what is left in Haiti into a credible and sustainable democracy. This is not a time for abandonment but it is the time to become engaged to the extent of our resources in the effort to rebuild.

Our Ambassador Eugene Newry has spent most of today working the telephones trying to determine what the lay of the land is on the ground in Haiti. The report is that our Embassy's premises are safe and so is his home. Once the security situation is judged to be safe enough then the Ambassador will be back to work in Port-au-Prince. He will re-engage with the group of Friends of Haiti and seek to make whatever inputs he can on behalf of The Bahamas and CARICOM. I would like that to be as early as next weekend.

There is a great deal of soul searching and analysis that has gone on in the last few days. No doubt the political scholars and we trust our own College of The Bahamas will take some time to deliberate over these events. Many of those questions about the relationships between small countries and larger countries in the hemisphere and around the world may not see the light of day today. But one thing is certain; no one wants to see this situation recur ten years from now. What has transpired in Haiti over the weekend has put us back at least ten years. It has also reaffirmed the cycle of coups and counter coups that is part of Haiti's troubled history. But we start again, and no Bahamian should have been ignorant of the risks. We said that Haiti is not a situation that has a solution. It is rather a situation to be continually managed.

Some have openly suggested that now is the time for the Caribbean to develop its own rapid reaction force. What was patently clear is that part of the lack of respect for the CARICOM position was the fact that it could not be backed up by any practical force to stabilize the situation. Some have also suggested that there needs to be forged a greater link with the countries of Africa as we look to the question of stabilizing a country in the Caribbean that has a difficulty with public order. It is wise to look at all the alternatives.

Then there are those who say that Haiti requires a trusteeship, a re-colonization if you will under the auspices of the United Nations. There are some who think that The Bahamas and CARICOM could playa part in that.

None of these alternatives are entirely satisfactory and some will have to be rejected out of hand. But what is clear is that the stability of the region is a fragile thing indeed, and that we must all come to a fuller sense of engagement with our neighbours if we are not find ourselves in this same place again.

The Government of The Bahamas will for example be putting that to the test before the end of the month with renewed initiatives in the Dominican Republic, the country that shares half of the island of Hispaniola with the Republic of Haiti. Quite apart from the bilateral issue of fishing that concerns us with that country, we need to engage with them on their views regarding Haiti and how last weekend's results can possibly be avoided.

One thing is sure, there is a need for more public education and discussion and dialogue. There was an awful lot of ignorant commentary over the past weeks that passed for intelligent punditry. Groups like this one here tonight have a great deal to do ~ in order to bring the process of public education forward. We must arm ourselves with the facts about migration to this country, and not be overwhelmed by misinformation, propaganda and prejudice.

Tonight then, I wish to see this as the beginning of The Bahamas reengaging on the question of Haiti. We expect that the Government of Haiti, whenever that emerges will respect and honour the accord agreed between the Governments of the two countries over the past year. It should be formally signed and the joint commission put in place to carry out and monitor its provisions.

In terms of our relationship with the United States, there is a need more than ever to engage with that country on which we rely for so much of the national security of the country. Part of the reason that we have such a low impact of migrant traffic over the latest period is because of the work of the US Coastguard and the US Government that made it clear that repatriation will follow interdiction at sea.

And while that works just fine, the fact is the economic situation in Haiti is dire. There is a need for all countries to work together to improve the economic situation, ensuring that international funding continues and that the institutions that can support a state are nurtured and sustained.

The Bahamas and groups such as this ought to seek to engage not just on the political level but at the people to people level. Our hope is that through engagement at that level, the atmosphere of violence which constantly invades Haiti's politics can be substantially altered.

This then is the time for the national debate to take place. Tonight, I use this as an opportunity to launch that debate entitled where to from now on Haiti for The Bahamas. I look forward to your responses and the dialogue.