标签： Haiti

In late July 2026, high-level gender and economic policy leaders from across the Americas and the Caribbean gathered in Panama City for the Regional Policy Dialogue focused on “Women, Productivity and Growth”, an event convened with support from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). The three-day convening brought together 101 attendees spanning cabinet ministers, senior government officials, leading development experts, and technical partners from 24 nations, all united by a shared goal: to reframe women’s economic participation as a foundational driver of broad-based productivity, transformative innovation, and long-term sustainable development across the region.

Over the course of the dialogue, delegates tackled a range of interconnected strategic priorities central to advancing gender-inclusive economic growth. Key topics included expanding equitable women’s participation in formal economies, designing public policies that accelerate women’s economic empowerment, scaling investment in the undervalued care economy, expanding women’s access to affordable formal finance, integrating women into digital transformation and innovation ecosystems, and building robust frameworks for economic formalization and inclusion for marginalized women.

Speaking on behalf of the Haitian government, Pedrica Saint Jean, Haiti’s Minister for the Status of Women and Women’s Rights (MCFDF), shared on-the-ground insights into Haiti’s unique economic context. She emphasized that despite facing overlapping systemic challenges – widespread economic informality, persistent national insecurity, repeated political and humanitarian crises, and systemic barriers to accessing formal financial services – women remain the backbone of Haiti’s national economy, sustaining local communities and driving informal and small-scale economic activity across the country. Saint Jean also outlined the Haitian government’s forward-looking policy vision: to invest in expanding women’s human capital, foster the growth of women-led entrepreneurship, and embed a gender equity perspective across all national economic planning and policy frameworks.

The second day of the dialogue deepened discussions on underaddressed aspects of gender-inclusive growth, including sustainable financing for gender equality policies, replicable successful experiences from across the region, strategies for effective cross-government inter-institutional coordination, the critical link between public health investment and women’s economic participation, and binding government commitments to advance inclusive economic growth. This high-level plenary session included participation from Guatemala’s Vice President, alongside seven cabinet ministers representing Barbados, Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Suriname, and Haiti.

For Haiti, Saint Jean’s participation in the regional dialogue underscores the national government’s explicit commitment to placing gender equality at the center of all national development strategies. By engaging with global and regional peers to exchange solutions, the Haitian Ministry for the Status of Women and Women’s Rights aims to advance initiatives that boost national productivity, reduce systemic economic and gender inequalities, and cement women’s position as core leaders of Haiti’s ongoing economic and social transformation.

In a significant development for Haiti’s path back to constitutional democratic rule, two major regional and hemispheric organizations have issued positive responses to the long-awaited publication of a formal electoral timeline by the country’s Provisional Electoral Council (CEP). The announcement, which sets concrete dates for long-delayed general elections, has been met with cautious optimism from international stakeholders who have closely followed Haiti’s ongoing political and security crisis. The Caribbean Community’s Eminent Persons Group (EPG), which has overseen regional diplomatic efforts to support Haiti’s democratic transition, was among the first bodies to welcome the CEP’s announcement.

The release of the electoral calendar marks a critical milestone in Haiti’s transition process, a step that had been anticipated for months by both Haitian political actors and the broader international community. According to the official timeline, the first round of general elections — covering presidential, parliamentary seats, and a public vote on constitutional reform — will be held on December 13, 2026, with a potential second round of presidential voting scheduled for February 21, 2027. The EPG noted that the formalization of this timeline will immediately accelerate ongoing critical pre-election preparations, including the registration of political parties, electoral coalitions, campaign platforms, and the verification of eligible voter rolls across the country.

In its official statement, the EPG stressed that the success of the electoral process depends entirely on close, constructive collaboration between the CEP and every Haitian stakeholder, from political parties to civil society organizations. The group called on all actors to participate fully in the process and uphold all electoral rules and procedures, ensuring that Haitian citizens can exercise their democratic right to select a new government through free, fair, and credible balloting that will formally restore constitutional order to the country. Echoing the CEP’s own assessment, the EPG also emphasized that widespread improvement to Haiti’s fragile security situation is non-negotiable for elections to proceed smoothly. To that end, the organization urged member states contributing to the French-led Anti-Gang Force (FRG) to accelerate the deployment of their personnel, expanding the international security assistance already provided to Haitian authorities to curb gang violence that has destabilized large swathes of the country.

The Organization of American States (OAS) quickly followed with its own endorsement of the electoral calendar, framing the announcement as a key advance toward the restoration of democratic normalcy in Haiti. In a social media statement released on July 28, 2026, OAS Secretary General Albert R. Ramdin confirmed the body’s full support for the timeline, calling it a “significant step” forward for Haiti’s transition. “I welcome the publication of the electoral calendar by the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP), with a first round scheduled for December 13, 2026, and a possible second round on February 21, 2027,” Ramdin wrote. He added that the formal timeline lays clear groundwork for the restoration of democratic and constitutional governance, and reaffirmed that the OAS stands ready to provide full support for a Haitian-led electoral process that is credible, inclusive, transparent, and secure for all participants and voters.

In a high-stakes diplomatic meeting held on Monday, Haiti’s Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, alongside senior members of his cabinet, welcomed a cross-party delegation from the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee at the National Palace in Port-au-Prince. The delegation included sitting members of Congress and top parliamentary leaders from both the Democratic and Republican parties, marking a display of unified bipartisan engagement with Haiti’s transitional leadership amid the country’s ongoing political and security crisis.

The closed-door discussions proceeded in an atmosphere of open frankness, reciprocal respect, and shared commitment to collaborative partnership, covering a broad spectrum of pressing strategic priorities for Haiti. Key topics on the agenda included the urgent task of restoring widespread national security, laying the groundwork for upcoming general elections, strengthening fragile democratic state institutions, improving public sector governance, expanding mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation between the two nations, addressing irregular migration flows, and mapping pathways to long-term inclusive economic recovery.

During the talks, Haitian government leaders used the opportunity to call for a unified, coordinated international commitment to Haiti, emphasizing that any global support must be rooted in strict respect for Haiti’s national sovereignty and collaborative solidarity between international partners. The delegation was told that Haiti needs robust backing to overcome its current urgent challenges, specifically requesting support for the Haitian authorities’ ongoing work to rebuild national stability, entrench the rule of law across the country, and create the necessary conditions for holding free, credible, and inclusive elections that reflect the will of the Haitian people.

For their part, the visiting U.S. congressional representatives commended the productive quality of the dialogue, noting that both parties had aligned on core shared goals. The delegation reaffirmed that the U.S. Congress maintains broad bipartisan interest in deepening a close working partnership with Haiti, with the ultimate aim of supporting progress on security, democratic governance, sustainable economic prosperity, and improved quality of life for the Haitian population.

On July 28, 2026, Haitian electoral authorities released the final, official version of the comprehensive 2026–2027 national electoral calendar, laying out a phased, 14-month roadmap to restore democratic governance in the crisis-stricken Caribbean nation. The entire electoral process is scheduled to kick off on February 1, 2026, with a months-long initiative focused on voter outreach, public awareness campaigns, and civic education to prepare the population for participation, concluding on March 17, 2027 after the final results are certified.

Preparatory infrastructure work for the vote will begin in parallel to outreach efforts on April 14, 2026, with the establishment of regional departmental vote tabulation centers across the country, a process that will run through November 30 the same year. Key accreditation and registration phases will open in mid-2026: international and domestic observers, as well as journalists covering the vote, will be able to apply for accreditation between July 3 and August 18, 2026. Political parties and electoral coalitions will complete their official registration between July 13 and August 14, 2026, a 33-day window for groups to formalize their participation.

General voter registration will open to all eligible Haitian citizens on July 20, 2026, and remain open through October 13, 2026, giving eligible voters more than two and a half months to register or update their information at local polling stations. Following voter registration, aspiring candidates will be able to file their nomination papers between August 20 and October 2, 2026. Electoral administrative hiring will also take place in late 2026: voting center supervisors will be recruited between August 31 and September 26, 2026, while polling station staff recruitment will run from September 1, 2026 through November 21, 2026. Political parties will have until December 4, 2026 to accredit their official representatives to polling and tabulation centers.

The first round of the presidential and legislative elections, alongside a national constitutional referendum, will be held on December 13, 2026. Official vote counting will begin immediately after polls close, wrapping up on December 15. Results of the constitutional referendum will be publicly released on December 16, 2026, with preliminary first-round results for presidential and legislative races published three days later on December 19. Challenges to preliminary first-round results will be heard between December 22, 2026 and January 9, 2027, with final certified first-round results released the same day challenges are due to conclude.

If no presidential candidate secures an absolute majority in the first round as required by Haitian electoral law, a second round of presidential, legislative (for undecided seats) and local elections will be held on February 21, 2027. The second-round electoral campaign will run from January 10 to February 20, 2027, with a parallel procurement and distribution process for all electoral materials wrapping up just before election day. Vote counting for the second round will be completed by February 23, 2027, with preliminary second-round presidential and legislative results released the day after the vote, and local election results published the same day counting concludes. Challenges to second-round national results will be adjudicated within 12 days of preliminary release, wrapping up on March 6, 2027, while challenges to local election results will be resolved by March 11. Final certified results for the second round of national elections will be published on March 7, 2027, with final local election results released five days later on March 12, 2027, bringing the full electoral process to a close five days after on March 17.

The full 74-page electoral decree adopted on June 2, 2026, as well as a subsequent amending decree, are available for public download via official portals to increase transparency around the process.

Between July 20 and 25, 2026, Haiti’s National Old-Age Insurance Office (ONA) made measurable progress across multiple core strategic objectives, advancing institutional modernization, governance improvement, human resources optimization, service quality enhancement, collaborative social dialogue, and alignment with the Haitian government’s top national priorities. These targeted actions underscore the ONA General Directorate’s ongoing commitment to strengthening institutional performance and building a more agile, efficient, and user-centric institution that directly addresses the needs of insured contributors, pensioners, and working people across Haiti.

One of the most significant milestones of the week was further progress on the ONA’s sweeping social security registration reform, including the ongoing rollout of the new national Social Security Card. Following a high-level strategic gathering of the institution’s top leadership, the body approved a series of updated technical frameworks designed to modernize the national insured person identification system and raise the standard of services available to Haitian workers.

In a key leadership change to support human resources modernization, the ONA formally named Dr. Mackenson Saint-Cyr as its new Director of Human Resources. With nearly a quarter-century of institutional experience already under his belt, Saint-Cyr plans to continue the ONA’s HR transformation efforts, with a core focus on digitizing internal and external HR services, building up specialized internal expertise, and boosting overall institutional performance.

As a core component of its broader institutional modernization agenda, the ONA also launched a targeted debt restructuring program for entities and individuals that hold debts to the institution. The program offers eligible debtors the chance to negotiate flexible repayment plans through September 30, 2026, in full compliance with Haitian regulatory frameworks.

On July 24, the ONA took part in the closing ceremony of a national capacity-building initiative for public sector Study and Programming Units (SPUs), an event organized by Haiti’s Ministry of Planning and External Cooperation (MPCE) in partnership with the Prime Minister’s Office. The ONA’s participation reaffirmed its commitment to supporting broader public administration modernization and strengthening institutional capacity to deliver more effective governance across the country.

Later that same day, the ONA marked the 10th anniversary of the ONA Workers’ Voice (Voix des Travailleurs de l’ONA, or VTO), the institution’s labor body. During the commemoration, the General Directorate reaffirmed its stance that open social dialogue is the foundation of modern, participatory governance. Represented by Special Advisor Dr. Jean Gardy Marius, the leadership committed to sustaining collaborative partnerships with labor unions to advance ongoing reforms, strengthen institutional governance, and improve service outcomes for insured contributors and pensioners.

The following day, July 25, ONA Director General Lovely François publicly commended the VTO’s 10 years of service and commitment to the institution, and once again reiterated the ONA’s commitment to maintaining open, consistent, and constructive dialogue with all social partners. François emphasized that lasting institutional reform can only be built through inclusive consultation, and confirmed that the ONA will continue advancing its ongoing transformation agenda to build a more modern, transparent, efficient institution that meets the expectations of its members, pensioners, and staff.

In addition to internal institutional reforms, François also represented the ONA at a high-level strategic meeting hosted at Haiti’s National Palace and chaired by Prime Minister Fils-Aimé. The gathering focused on mobilizing the entire public administration to implement the June 2, 2026 electoral decree. The meeting brought together cabinet members, senior public institution leadership, the President of Haiti’s Provisional Electoral Council (CEP), national security force representatives, and international partners. Through her participation, François reaffirmed the ONA’s commitment to supporting the state’s core national priorities, and confirmed the institution will contribute its public service expertise to ensure a successful national electoral process in line with its mandate.