The Organization of American States (OAS) says its School of the Judiciary of Haiti (EMA) and the Project for Institutional Strengthening in the Fight against Corruption in Haiti (OEA|RILCH, for its acronym in French) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that will serve as a framework for inter-institutional dialogue and collaboration on anti-corruption matters.
On Friday, the OAS said 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 OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro.
The Memorandum of Understanding states that 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, said the OAS in a statement.
“The signing of this agreement is a valuable event for the Haitian justice system and for the OAS since it means the beginning of the joint work of our institutions and the possibility of strengthening the capacities of Haitian judges and prosecutors, especially those magistrates who investigate and prosecute cases of corruption and financial crimes,” said Calderón Boy during the signing ceremony.
Thermesi said the alliance with the OAS will strengthen judicial independence and the rule of law.
The OAS said OAS|RILCH was created at the request of the Government of Haiti, “which requested support for the creation of anti-corruption infrastructure in the country.”
“OAS|RILCH is financed by the governments of Switzerland and Italy and its objective is to strengthen the institutions that make up the Haitian anti-corruption system, improving existing institutional systems and processes, through training, technical advice, and active collaboration; and ensuring that the staff of these institutions, as well as Haitian magistrates, have the necessary skills to combat corruption and related crimes,” the OAS said.
This is the third Memorandum of Understanding that OEA|RILCH has signed with a Haitian institution.
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 being carried out.”
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 says its EMA and the OEA|RILCH have signed a MOU on anti-corruption matters in Haiti){kind=link}