In a landmark step toward advancing social equity and securing retirement futures for Haitian workers, Haiti’s Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor (MAST), in partnership with the National Old-Age Insurance Office (ONA), kicked off the National Forum on the Modernization and Consolidation of the General Pension System on September 16, 2026. Running through September 18, this three-day collaborative gathering is centered on the core values of social justice and intergenerational solidarity, bringing together stakeholders to address longstanding gaps in the Caribbean nation’s retirement infrastructure.
The forum was structured to move systematically from problem diagnosis to actionable reform, with each day dedicated to a distinct phase of the modernization process. The opening day, themed “Understanding the ONA and Diagnosing the General ONA System”, focused entirely on mapping the current state of Haiti’s pension framework. Participants conducted a frank assessment of the system’s existing strengths, persistent weaknesses, and the most pressing challenges that have prevented it from serving all Haitian workers equitably.
On the second day of discussions, attendees will shift to forward-looking design, working to outline a new pension framework that is modern, fair, and financially stable over the long term. A central focus of this phase will be building flexible social protection mechanisms that align with Haiti’s unique economic and labor landscape, which is dominated by large numbers of workers in non-formal employment.
The third and final day will be dedicated to expanding overall social protection coverage and building a clear, time-bound reform roadmap. By the close of the forum, participants aim to produce specific, implementable recommendations that can be rolled out in incremental stages over the short, medium, and long term.
In his opening address to the forum, MAST Minister Marc-Elie Nelson framed the reform effort as far more than a bureaucratic or financial adjustment. “We are not simply opening a Pensions Forum today. We are launching a project on social justice,” he emphasized.
Nelson underscored the fundamental moral obligation of the state to ensure that Haitians who spent their lives contributing to the national economy can access a secure, dignified retirement. A top priority of the modernization push, he noted, is the gradual inclusion of informal sector workers into the social protection system—a long-overdue adjustment to reflect the realities of Haiti’s labor market.
“Informal workers are not invisible workers,” Nelson stated. He pointed out that workers across the informal economy, from street vendors and small-scale farmers to transporters, construction workers, repair technicians and small producers, make critical contributions to the country’s overall wealth and deserve the same retirement security as formal sector employees.
Beyond expanding coverage, the modernization effort also targets systemic improvements to service delivery for insured people. Key priorities identified for the reform include simplifying burdensome administrative procedures, rolling out digital service access, strengthening personal data protection, and making pension institutions more accessible to communities across the country.
For Nelson, digital transformation of the pension system must always be rooted in a clear social mission: to deliver tangible improvements to the daily lives and well-being of Haitian citizens. He added that modernization must also go hand in hand with stricter requirements for transparency, institutional integrity, independent oversight, and public accountability across all pension governing bodies.
The core end goal of the forum is to create a detailed reform roadmap that clearly defines required actions, assigns institutional responsibilities, sets firm deadlines, and establishes robust mechanisms to track progress and outcomes. Echoing the need for accountability, Nelson noted: “A reform without a timeline remains just an intention. A reform without those responsible remains just talk, and a reform without follow-up becomes a forgotten promise.”