USA / HAITI – The School of Magistracy of Haiti (EMA) and the Institutional Strengthening Project in the Fight against Corruption in Haiti (OEA|RILCH, for its acronym in French) of the Organization of American States (OAS), have signed a memorandum of understanding that will serve as a framework for inter-institutional dialogue and collaboration on anti-corruption issues.
The agreement was signed by the director-general of the EMA, Kesner Michel Thermesi, and the general coordinator of the OAS|RILCH, Ana María Calderón Boy, on behalf of the secretary-general of the OAS, Luis Almagro.
The Memorandum of Understanding stipulates that the OAS|RILCH will collaborate with the EMA to facilitate the development of the capacities of Haitian judges and prosecutors, through specialized training and the transfer of skills and good practices by OAS experts.
“ The signing of this agreement is a precious event for Haitian justice and for the OAS, since it signifies the beginning of the joint work of our institutions; and the possibility of building the capacity of Haitian judges and prosecutors, in particular magistrates who investigate and prosecute cases of corruption and financial crimes», declared the general coordinator of the OAS|RILCH during the signing. For his part, the director-general of the EMA stressed that the alliance with the OAS will strengthen judicial independence and the rule of law.
The Institutional Strengthening Project in the Fight against Corruption in Haiti (OAS|RILCH) arises at the request of the Government of Haiti, which requested support for the creation of anti-corruption infrastructure in the country.
The OAS|RILCH is funded by the governments of Switzerland and Italy and its objective is to strengthen the institutions that make up the Haitian anti-corruption system, by improving existing institutional systems and processes, through training, technical advice and active collaboration; and ensure that the staff of these institutions, as well as Haitian magistrates, have the necessary skills to fight corruption and related crimes.
This is the third memorandum of understanding that OEA|RILCH has signed with a Haitian institution, as part of its execution. The first was signed on July 30, 2021, with the Anti-Corruption Unit – ULCC, and the second was signed on February 9, 2022, with the Central Financial Intelligence Unit – UCREF, with which joint activities are already carried out.
