Carib Scope

分类： politics

  • Dominican Republic : Strengthening the operational capacities of the Dominican army

    Dominican Republic : Strengthening the operational capacities of the Dominican army

    In a major step to upgrade its military capabilities and harden border security along its shared frontier with Haiti, the Dominican Republic has formally received a large shipment of new military hardware – much of it developed and built domestically – in a ceremony held on July 17, 2026. The delivery, coordinated by the country’s Ministry of Defense, includes a diverse array of cutting-edge equipment designed to enhance surveillance, rapid response, and multi-domain defense capabilities across the nation’s border regions and strategic installations.

    Among the new assets delivered are five unmanned vertical takeoff and landing drones, a mobile unmanned surveillance unit mounted on an all-terrain vehicle, 10 indigenously developed Centauro tactical vehicles, and 179 additional ground vehicles of varying types. The acquisition package also includes a full structural renovation and re-equipping of seven key facilities at San Isidro Air Base, a major operational hub for the Dominican armed forces.

    The highlight of the ceremony was the public unveiling of the FURIA VBD-2, the latest armored fighting vehicle fully developed and assembled by the Dominican Republic’s domestic military industrial sector. Boasting military-grade ballistic protection, a full 360-degree rotating turret, and advanced battlefield operational capabilities, the first completed FURIA VBD-2 is the inaugural unit of a planned 18-vehicle production run. Once completed, these armored vehicles will be deployed to reinforce second-line defense brigades stationed along the country’s shared land border with Haiti, where security concerns have grown in recent years.

    Breaking down the full roster of new ground vehicles, Defense Minister Carlos Fernández Onofre outlined that the shipment includes 76 purpose-built patrol trucks, 25 heavy trucks for troop and supply transport, seven minibuses designed for secure personnel movement, four minivans, and 67 motorcycles for rapid patrol operations in diverse terrain.

    President Luis Abinader, who attended the official handover ceremony, used the occasion to frame the new equipment delivery as a landmark milestone for the country’s growing military industry. He emphasized that domestically developed hardware like the FURIA VBD-2 and Centauro tactical vehicles serves as tangible proof that the Dominican Republic now boasts a leading military industrial sector across Central America and the Caribbean. “Today, we have an exemplary military industry in Central America and the Caribbean, and we are at the forefront. It rivals the most advanced countries. We are on track to reach the level of the highest-performing Latin American countries,” Abinader told attendees.

    Minister Onofre echoed the president’s remarks, noting that the acquisition and domestic production of this new generation of equipment marks significant progress in the armed forces’ push for technological modernization. He added that the shift toward domestic assembly and production of key military assets – including upcoming drone production that is set to begin in the near future – will generate substantial long-term savings for the national government budget.

    “ The Armed Forces of the Dominican Republic continue to move resolutely toward technological advancement, consolidating a permanent surveillance capability, increased responsiveness, and multi-domain defense, in line with the challenges of the 21st century, all in service of the security, sovereignty, and defense of the Nation,” Onofre said.

    The upgrade comes amid ongoing regional security focus on the Haiti-Dominican Republic border, where the Dominican government has stepped up efforts to control irregular migration, counter smuggling, and protect territorial sovereignty in recent years.

  • Fenatrano’s Juan Hubieres accuses Senator Antonio Marte of targeting union routes

    Fenatrano’s Juan Hubieres accuses Senator Antonio Marte of targeting union routes

    escalating tensions between rival transport groups in the Dominican Republic have thrown the country’s public transportation system into a fresh round of conflict, with the head of one major union leveling serious accusations against a sitting senator who leads a competing organization.

    Juan Hubieres, president of the National Federation of Public Transportation Workers (Fenatrano), has publicly charged Senator Antonio Marte, who also leads the National Confederation of Transportation (Conatra), with orchestrating a power grab to seize control of key public transit corridors that are currently operated by Fenatrano-affiliated route holders. At the core of the dispute is a fight over government-authorized route permissions, which are critical for operators to run legal and profitable bus services across the country.

    According to Hubieres, Marte has been applying heavy pressure on national transportation authorities to revoke the legally granted operating rights of Fenatrano’s affiliated transport providers. The end goal of this pressure campaign, Hubieres claims, is to clear the way for Conatra to take over additional government-approved transit corridors, expanding Marte’s influence and control over the sector. Beyond the route grab, the Fenatrano leader has also alleged that the senator has received improper benefits through favorable government transportation contracts and access to heavily subsidized fuel. To address these claims, Hubieres is calling for a full, independent investigation into Marte’s business arrangements within the public transportation system.

    Hubieres also turned his criticism to the National Institute of Transit and Land Transportation (Intrant), the country’s top regulatory body for land transport. He specifically called out the recent detention of Fenatrano vehicles operating along the heavily trafficked Mella corridor, arguing that the move directly violates the legally recognized operating rights held by his organization’s members. In an effort to push the regulator back to neutrality, Hubieres has urged Intrant Director Milton Morrison to refrain from aligning with either side in the ongoing conflict and to uphold the rule of law for all transport operators.

    In sharp warnings against what he frames as a monopolistic power play, Hubieres stated that Marte is actively working to consolidate full control of the country’s major transit corridors. He made clear that Fenatrano will mount robust opposition to any attempt to displace its affiliated operators and revoke their legally held route rights. Hubieres also pointed to a history of violent conflict within the Dominican transport sector, emphasizing that the aggressive, intimidation-based tactics that marred past disputes must not be allowed to resurface in the current standoff.

    The latest public accusations are just the most recent development in a long-running, high-stakes conflict over how public transportation corridors are allocated and managed across the Dominican Republic, with control of these routes translating directly to significant economic and political influence for the groups that hold them.

  • Abinader inaugurates Plaza de la Bandera tunnel, easing traffic and improving southern connectivity

    Abinader inaugurates Plaza de la Bandera tunnel, easing traffic and improving southern connectivity

    On a Sunday ceremony in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader officially opened a transformative infrastructure project: the newly constructed Plaza de la Bandera tunnel and the fully revitalized surrounding public space. Developed to cut through persistent traffic gridlock across Greater Santo Domingo and strengthen transportation links between the capital and the nation’s southern region, the initiative marks a key milestone in the administration’s public works agenda.

    Stretching 1.2 kilometers with four travel lanes, the tunnel runs beneath the iconic Plaza de la Bandera, extending the existing Gregorio Luperón Avenue and eliminating one of the capital’s most crippling traffic chokepoints. Funded entirely through proceeds from the renegotiated Aerodom concession contract, the RD$3.3 billion project is projected to slash travel times for commuters, upgrade overall road safety standards, and deliver tangible benefits to roughly 300,000 local residents and frequent travelers.

    During his inauguration address, President Abinader framed the completed tunnel as a tangible demonstration of his government’s pledge to elevate the quality of life for Dominican citizens by building infrastructure that directly addresses daily transportation struggles. He also underlined that the surrounding public space renovation carefully preserved the deep historical and national symbolic value of Plaza de la Bandera, while bringing the area’s outdated road network into line with 21st-century mobility needs.

    Abinader further noted that the new tunnel is just one component of a far-reaching national strategy to improve connectivity between the capital and southern Dominican provinces. Complementary initiatives already underway or completed include the Pintura overpass, the new bypass roads around Baní and Azua, the expansion of the Santo Domingo cable car system toward Haina, and comprehensive upgrades to major highways connecting the provinces of San Cristóbal, Peravia, Azua, Barahona, and Pedernales.

    Minister of Public Works Eduardo Estrella shared that construction on the tunnel kicked off in February 2025 and was delivered ahead of schedule in approximately 18 months. Engineered to handle up to 2,500 vehicles per hour, the infrastructure includes a full suite of modern safety and operational features: advanced ventilation and gas extraction systems, cutting-edge fire suppression technology, backup power generators, real-time surveillance integrated directly with the national 911 emergency response system, and a dedicated on-site operations control center to monitor conditions around the clock.

  • Dominican Republic to continue chairing Central American women’s council

    Dominican Republic to continue chairing Central American women’s council

    At the 64th Ordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers of Women of Central America and the Dominican Republic (COMMCA), held recently, member states have formally voted to confirm Gloria Reyes, the Dominican Republic’s Minister of Women’s Affairs, as the body’s pro tempore president for the second half of 2026, spanning July through December.

    The unanimous endorsement of Dominican leadership under Reyes came as no surprise to regional observers, following tangible progress delivered during her previous tenure. Delegations highlighted three key areas of achievement: strengthened cross-border coordination between member states, expanded strategic partnerships with regional and international stakeholders, and growing collective influence to push forward progressive policies that benefit women, girls, and adolescent populations across Central America and the Caribbean.

    Before the confirmation vote, the Dominican delegation presented a full progress report on its work plan for the first six months of 2026. The report outlined major milestones in three core priorities: strengthening COMMCA’s institutional framework to operate more efficiently, advancing targeted advocacy for gender-focused policy reforms at the regional level, and deepening collaborative projects with neighboring member states.

    Beyond leadership appointments, the three-day meeting produced a series of actionable agreements that will shape the council’s work for the coming years. One of the most significant outcomes was the formal approval of a new strategic policy framework designed to reinforce COMMCA’s role within the Central American Integration System (SICA). The framework sets out clear priorities across eight critical issue areas: gender equality and equity, migrant rights, climate justice, the formalization of the care economy, gender-based security, access to digital technology, and inclusive education.

    Member states also signed off on a structured monitoring roadmap to track the implementation of SICA’s existing Regional Gender Equality and Equity Policy, which covers the 2024–2026 period. The roadmap includes regular progress reviews and policy updates, alongside early planning work for the next three-year policy cycle running from 2027 to 2029.

    In another key agenda item, ministers reviewed ongoing progress for the “Safe Mobility: Regional Protocol for Migrant Women” initiative, a project supported by funding from the Korea-SICA Cooperation Fund. The initiative works to establish standardized cross-border protections and targeted support services for migrant women moving through the region, addressing unique vulnerabilities they face during transit and resettlement.

    The LXIV Ordinary Meeting brought together official delegations from all seven COMMCA member states: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, and the Dominican Republic. The gathering concluded with a joint commitment from all participants to continue deepening regional cooperation, remove barriers to gender equity, and advance shared initiatives that uplift women across the Central American region.

  • Supérate showcases Dominican poverty reduction efforts at UN sustainable development forum

    Supérate showcases Dominican poverty reduction efforts at UN sustainable development forum

    At the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development hosted by the UN Economic and Social Council in New York, Mayra Jiménez, director general of the Dominican Republic’s Social Development Directorate Supérate, took the global stage to outline the Caribbean nation’s significant strides in building inclusive, impact-driven social protection systems.

    In her address to forum attendees, Jiménez emphasized that targeted social protection has emerged as one of the most effective tools for lifting vulnerable households out of intergenerational poverty. By connecting marginalized communities to direct financial support, market-aligned employment opportunities, and life-sustaining essential public services, these policies create tangible, long-term change rather than temporary relief, she explained.

    Under the administration of President Luis Abinader, the Supérate program has scaled its reach dramatically, Jiménez reported. Currently, the initiative provides steady support to more than 1.4 million Dominican households through a combination of direct social subsidies and skills-based employment programs. Beyond direct financial aid, the government has also made major progress advancing the country’s national care strategy, expanding accessible home care services for citizens in need across the nation.

    A core marker of the policy’s success, Jiménez noted, is the country’s sharp reduction in national poverty rates. Between 2020 and 2025, the overall poverty rate fell from 25% to 17%, a drop Jiménez attributes to coordinated, cross-sector public policies centered on expanding social protection access and accelerating inclusive job creation across all economic sectors.

    During a dedicated panel discussion focused on global energy vulnerability and a just energy transition, Jiménez also detailed two targeted energy subsidy programs that have eased financial strain for low-income households: the Bono Gas and Bono Luz initiatives. These programs currently provide monthly energy-related subsidies to 1.2 million households and 620,000 households respectively, helping vulnerable families offset rising energy costs while the country advances its broader transition goals.

    The 2025 forum also featured a high-level strategic dialogue co-chaired by UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed and UNDP Administrator Alexander De Croo, where attendees centered discussions on how robust social protection frameworks can help at-risk populations build resilience to the growing impacts of climate change and ongoing global economic and social crises.

    For additional coverage of local developments from the Dominican Republic, readers can visit the dedicated Dominican Republic news portal.

  • US to revive rule that could deny green cards to immigrants using public benefits

    US to revive rule that could deny green cards to immigrants using public benefits

    In a policy shift announced Thursday by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, a restrictive Trump-era immigration regulation is set to return, opening the door to denying permanent resident status to immigrants who access common taxpayer-funded public assistance programs including food stamps and Medicaid.

    The policy, rooted in the second Trump administration’s broader crackdown on unauthorized migration, frames the change as a defense of fiscal responsibility: officials argue that applicants seeking green cards should not rely primarily on government subsistence programs, a classification known in U.S. immigration law as a “public charge.”

    The updated rule will go into effect across the United States on September 18 of this year, according to the DHS’s official announcement. Its origins trace back to 2019, when the Trump administration first introduced the regulation, dramatically expanding the legal definition of a public charge. Under the 2019 framework, any immigrant who received eligible government benefits for more than 12 months within any three-year window would be classified as a public charge, making them ineligible for permanent residency.

    That broad expansion was rolled back in 2021 by the Biden administration, which significantly narrowed the criteria that would trigger a public charge green card denial, rolling the policy back to its narrower pre-2019 scope. The reversal came after years of sustained legal challenges and widespread outcry from immigrant support groups.

    In a statement posted to the social platform X, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services reaffirmed the administration’s policy stance, noting that the revived rule reinforces the long-standing core requirement that immigrants residing in the U.S. must be self-reliant and avoid dependence on public benefits supported by U.S. taxpayers.

    The original 2019 version of the rule faced fierce pushback from immigrant advocates, who argued that the policy intentionally targeted low-income immigrant communities, creating an unnecessary barrier that would block thousands of eligible people from accessing permanent legal status in the country. Many public health and social policy experts also warned that the rule would discourage immigrants from accessing life-saving healthcare and food assistance, even when they are legally eligible for those benefits, leading to worse public health and economic outcomes for immigrant families.

  • Sobers calls for global unity against political terrorism

    Sobers calls for global unity against political terrorism

    Against a backdrop of rising global instability, a top Caribbean diplomat has issued a urgent call for cohesive international collaboration to counter the escalating threat of political terrorism, emphasizing that ideology can never justify acts of political violence.

    Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Sean Sobers made the call while representing Trinidad and Tobago at a high-profile gathering focused on the resurgence of political terrorism, hosted in Washington D.C. by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The ministerial summit brought together senior government leaders from across the Western Hemisphere, Europe, and Asia, with a core goal of strengthening cross-border coordination to crack down on politically motivated violence.

    In his opening remarks to the assembled delegates, Sobers extended formal gratitude to the United States for organizing what he framed as a critical conversation at a pivotal moment for global security. “I wish to express our sincere appreciation to the government of the United States, and specifically to Secretary Rubio, for the warm hospitality and for convening this timely and necessary dialogue at a critical juncture for global stability,” Sobers stated. He also commended the U.S. for its leadership in uniting international partners to address what he called one of the 21st century’s most pressing transnational challenges.

    Sobers made clear that Trinidad and Tobago’s stance on political terrorism is unambiguous: all acts of terrorism must be universally condemned and confronted, no matter what ideology perpetrators cite to justify their violence. “We remain concerned by the use of violence to intimidate societies, coerce governments, and undermine democratic institutions,” he said. “Our position is clear: terrorism must be condemned and confronted regardless of the ideology invoked by its perpetrators.”

    The minister went on to highlight the unique vulnerability of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Caribbean to the ripple effects of global political terrorism, even though the region sees relatively few direct terrorist incidents. Caribbean SIDS face disproportionate risk due to their open, tourism-dependent economies, vast exclusive maritime zones, extensive critical energy infrastructure, growing digital connectivity exposure, rampant illicit firearms trafficking, and the presence of transnational organized crime networks. “Even where the number of terrorist incidents is low, transnational radicalisation, financing and facilitation can move quickly across borders,” Sobers explained.

    To address these gaps, Sobers outlined a clear set of priority areas for enhanced global and regional cooperation. He called for expanded practical collaboration across intelligence sharing, standardized terrorist watch-list coordination, improved border and maritime security, more robust cross-border investigations into terrorist financing, advanced digital forensics information sharing, standardized behavioral threat assessment training, targeted support for critical infrastructure protection, and joint regional counter-terrorism preparedness exercises.

    Sobers also emphasized that building long-term, sustainable regional counter-terrorism capacity requires centered and expanded use of existing regional bodies, specifically naming the Caricom Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (Caricom IMPACS) as a key platform for coordinated action. He added that Trinidad and Tobago stands ready to share its own hard-won expertise, developed through years of domestic work to counter violent extremism, manage returning foreign terrorist fighters, implement whole-of-government counter-terror coordination, and build national preparedness frameworks.

    On the sidelines of the formal ministerial summit, Sobers also held a series of productive bilateral high-level meetings with U.S. officials. The talks focused on advancing shared priorities including energy security, expanded bilateral trade, and deepening the existing strategic partnership between Trinidad and Tobago and the United States.

    Closing his address to the summit, Sobers laid out the shared end goal for global counter-terror efforts: building resilient, inclusive democratic societies that can defend themselves against violent attacks while upholding the fundamental rights, individual freedoms, and democratic values that terrorists seek to destroy.

  • Adhin wil themavergadering over veiligheid; Jones hekelt afwezigheid DNA-leden in commissievergadering

    Adhin wil themavergadering over veiligheid; Jones hekelt afwezigheid DNA-leden in commissievergadering

    Suriname’s National Assembly is moving toward a dedicated thematic plenary session focused on the country’s worsening public safety crisis, but the path forward hinges on a key procedural vote scheduled for Tuesday. Ahead of that vote, Assembly Speaker Ashwin Adhin has called a Monday meeting with parliamentary faction leaders to align on the proposal to establish a formal standing security committee, a prerequisite for holding the requested thematic debate.

    The push for a focused debate on rising insecurity emerged after heated recent parliamentary discussions that saw multiple lawmakers level sharp criticism at the security policies and public response of Harish Monorath, Minister of Justice and Police. But NDP parliamentary faction member Ebu Jones has upended the conversation by calling out his fellow legislators for performative criticism, pointing to a gap between public grandstanding and behind-the-scenes oversight work.
    Jones argued that far too many lawmakers skip closed-door committee meetings where security policy is discussed directly with the minister, only to deliver vocal criticism during televised public plenary sessions when cameras are rolling. Committees, he emphasized, are the core venue for legislators to conduct early oversight and adjust policy before issues escalate. In practice, he noted, the permanent standing committee for Justice and Police rarely meets with a quorum, with only a handful of members in attendance most sessions.
    “If security is truly as critical an issue as we claim it is, we need to show up even when there are no cameras rolling,” Jones said in an interview with Starnieuws. He added that even legislators who do not hold formal seats on the justice and police committee can attend as observers and contribute to the work, and pushed back against suggestions he was defending Minister Monorath. “This is not about protecting Monorath. This is about our own responsibility as elected representatives. The security challenge is far too important to turn it into a political show,” Jones stated.
    Jones also noted that an ad-hoc security committee already exists in parliament, chaired by Rabin Parmessar. The panel, which includes all faction leaders, was created after former government coordination minister André Misiekaba brought the alarming security situation in the country’s interior to legislative attention, and has held a small number of meetings to date. According to Jones, the committee’s faction leaders failed to deliver on their core mandate: they should have led in-depth investigations, produced a formal public report to the full assembly, and laid the groundwork for targeted talks with the administration on necessary policy reforms and additional budget allocations for security services.
    Beyond criticizing procedural failures, Jones also highlighted a key security concern around open debate: not all elements of the national security landscape can or should be discussed in public sessions. Details on the operational readiness, capabilities, and vulnerabilities of the military, police, and other security services should be debated in a closed committee of the whole assembly, he argued. Open public discussion of these details risks exposing sensitive information that could undermine national security, he added.
    Following Adhin’s Monday consultations with faction leaders, a procedural vote will be held during Tuesday’s internal housekeeping session to approve the creation of the new security committee. Once that step is complete, the date for the long-awaited thematic plenary debate on national security will be finalized.

  • Cap

    Cap

    In a formal ceremony held July 17 at Cap-Haïtien’s Versailles Complex, Haiti’s national police force (Police Nationale d’Haïti, PNH) officially kicked off the second phase of its groundbreaking outreach campaign, “PNH New Generation: Women at the heart of change.” The targeted initiative is designed to break down historical barriers to female entry in law enforcement, encouraging more professional women across the country to pursue careers with the PNH while reshaping the institution’s public image through greater gender diversity.

    The launch event drew senior police leadership, United Nations officials, and community stakeholders, including Divisional Commissioner Ernst Dorfeuille, the North Department’s PNH director; Louis Guerro Plancher, representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); Divisional Commissioner Erna Royal, UNDP Focal Point for the program’s Basket Fund; and Divisional Commissioner Étienne Salvador, PNH’s community policing coordinator.

    Speakers across all participating organizations aligned on a core message: expanding women’s representation within the PNH is a critical step toward repairing and deepening trust between law enforcement and local communities, as well as advancing ongoing institutional modernization efforts across Haiti’s national police force.

    Divisional Inspector Nativita Kerline Jean Philippe, head of gender-based violence response for the North Department, highlighted the on-the-ground practical benefits of increasing female police presence. She noted that greater gender balance within the force would allow officers to more effectively respond to Haiti’s complex social realities, particularly by delivering more culturally appropriate, trauma-informed support to survivors of gender-based violence.

    Representing the PNH’s Police Recruitment Service (SRP), Municipal Inspector Paul Smith Bonne Année walked attendees through the campaign’s next steps, outlining official admission requirements for new recruits, breaking down the multi-stage recruitment process, and detailing long-term career growth pathways available within the force. He closed his remarks by inviting all eligible attendees to bring their skills and experience to public service, serving the Haitian nation through a career in law enforcement.

    Following formal presentations, the event concluded with an interactive question-and-answer session between speakers and attending community members. Participants demonstrated significant enthusiasm and interest in the campaign, raising detailed questions about recruitment eligibility, career advancement opportunities, and institutional onboarding processes—all of which received clear, direct responses from the event’s panel.

    International partners are backing the second phase of the campaign to advance police reform in Haiti. The initiative receives core funding from the European Union, is implemented on the ground by the UNDP, and is being executed by local Haitian firm KONEKTE, as part of a broader international effort to strengthen the institutional capacity of the Haitian National Police amid ongoing governance and security challenges in the country.

  • Japan bilateral meeting

    Japan bilateral meeting

    Amid the high-level convenings of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), top diplomatic officials from Haiti and Japan gathered this week at Haiti’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations for targeted talks focused on revitalizing long-standing bilateral development cooperation. The meeting brought together Sandra Paulemon, Haiti’s Minister of Planning and External Cooperation, and Kiyoto Tsuji, Japan’s Minister of the Environment, to align on shared priorities and outline next steps for expanded support to Haiti’s ongoing recovery efforts.

    Opening the discussion, Minister Paulemon extended Haiti’s formal and deep gratitude to the Japanese government for its unwavering support spanning more than 15 years, particularly in the aftermath of Haiti’s catastrophic 2010 earthquake. In that crisis, Japan stepped forward to mobilize more than $100 million in combined humanitarian aid, cash donations, technical expertise, and targeted reconstruction assistance, a commitment that has delivered tangible benefits to Haitian communities across multiple key sectors.

    Paulemon emphasized that Japanese-backed initiatives have directly advanced Haiti’s progress toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals, with successful projects spanning public health, education, agricultural development, critical infrastructure, and disaster risk reduction. She highlighted a roster of completed, impactful works: the full reconstruction and equipping of the Jacmel general hospital, the major rehabilitation of Léogâne’s community water supply system, the construction and upgrade of dozens of primary and secondary schools across vulnerable regions, farmer-focused agricultural extension programs, and nationwide disaster preparedness training initiatives that have strengthened local response capacity.

    During the meeting, Paulemon outlined the core priorities of Haiti’s newly drafted national framework, the Economic, Social, and Territorial Stabilization and Recovery Program (PNSREST), which the Haitian government is finalizing to guide its multi-year recovery and stabilization agenda. She formally invited Japan to contribute to the program’s centralized common financing Basket Fund, which is designed to pool international resources to advance Haiti’s top national recovery priorities. She also added a request for targeted budgetary support from Japan to back Haiti’s upcoming 2026-2027 national budget, which is currently in the final stages of preparation.

    A key request put forward by the Haitian delegation centered on resuming a long-standing humanitarian aid mechanism that has been paused since 2020. Paulemon asked Japanese officials to reactivate the country’s humanitarian aid program, which was previously implemented through Haiti’s Bureau for the Monetization of Development Assistance Programs (BMPAD). She stressed that restoring this channel would be critical to expanding support for Haiti’s most vulnerable populations and accelerating the government’s ongoing economic and social recovery work. She also requested expanded partnership in technology and innovation, noting that Japan’s global leadership in technological transformation, climate and disaster resilience, and risk management offers a valuable blueprint that Haiti can leverage to strengthen its own institutional capacity and improve the delivery of public services.

    In response, Minister Tsuji acknowledged the deep, positive diplomatic roots that tie the two nations together, recalling a striking moment of mutual solidarity following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami: even in the wake of its own devastating national disaster just one year prior, the Haitian people and government extended meaningful support to Japan during its time of crisis. That reciprocal solidarity, he noted, forms the foundation of the strong bilateral relationship today.

    Tsuji confirmed that the Japanese government will give full, careful consideration to all of the requests put forward by the Haitian delegation, covering everything from technological partnership to participation in the PNSREST framework. He signaled clear positive momentum on the request to resume BMPAD-mediated humanitarian aid, noting that Japan would move forward with reviewing the proposal in close coordination with the Japanese Embassy in Port-au-Prince to identify the most effective forms of support for Haitian communities. Following the meeting, Haiti’s Ministry of Planning announced that it will continue sustained bilateral discussions with Japanese authorities to turn the outlined cooperation prospects into tangible, large-scale projects that support long-term stabilization, inclusive economic growth, social development, and recovery across Haiti.