The government of The Bahamas today made its third financial contribution to the Organization of American States’ (OAS) efforts in Haiti.Ambassador Joshua Sears, The Bahamian Permanent Representative to the OAS, delivered the check - for US$10,000 - to Assistant Secretary General Luigi Einaudi during a brief ceremony at OAS headquarters.

This contribution “is a demonstration of the commitment of the government of The Bahamas to the OAS framework for strengthening democracy in Haiti,” Ambassador Sears remarked, recalling the OAS Special Mission’s core mandates - on security, justice, human rights, democratic development and governance, and institution-building.

Commenting on recent meetings convened by Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders with representatives of the Haitian Opposition and civil society in Nassau on January 20 and 21, and with Haitian President Jean Bertrand Aristide in Jamaica this past weekend, Einaudi stressed the Organisation’s full support for the CARICOM initiative, which produced agreement between President Aristide and CARICOM leaders on specific measures towards ensuring a peaceful and democratic outcome to the current crisis.

The Assistant Secretary General noted the OAS accepted a number of specific responsibilities with regard to monitoring, to be conducted by the Special Mission, established in 2002 as part of the OAS efforts to help find a solution to Haiti’s political crisis stemming from the May 2000 elections.
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