In a significant move to strengthen local governance, Haitian Secretary of State for Territorial Communities Ms. Sharina Lochard initiated an extensive consultation tour across Haiti’s North and Northeast departments on March 13, 2026. The high-level delegation, comprising Director of Local Authorities Mallew Étienne and Delegations Coordinator Ms. Elvire Jean François, embarked on this critical mission to identify pressing local needs and develop actionable solutions through collaborative governance.
The tour’s primary objective involves establishing a comprehensive program of realistic, flagship actions to be implemented jointly by central government authorities and local administrations. This initiative specifically targets addressing the urgent and specific requirements of local populations through enhanced coordination between national and municipal levels.
During the initial phase, the delegation participated in Special Technical Council meetings in both departments, with Minister of Public Works Engineer Joseph Almathe Pierre-Louis contributing to discussions about the political, social, and economic situations. These councils focused on three core government priorities: security enhancement, economic recovery strategies, and election preparations.
Secretary Lochard emphasized the necessity of strengthened technical partnerships between departmental delegates, deputy delegates, and various ministry directors—particularly those from the Haitian National Police and decentralized state agencies. She specifically called for collaborative efforts to tackle structural challenges and promote sustainable development initiatives.
Additionally, the Secretary conducted separate working sessions with Mayors, Councilors of Communal Section Administrations (CASEC), and Communal Section Administrations (ASEC) in both departments. These meetings, held at Cap-Haïtien City Hall and the Northeast Departmental Delegation in Fort-Liberté, focused on evaluating communal section operations, enhancing local coordination mechanisms, and identifying municipal priorities.
The findings from this initial consultation phase will be formally submitted to the Minister of the Interior for review and subsequent presentation to the Council of Ministers, marking a structured approach to addressing Haiti’s local governance challenges.