OAS Secretary General Launches ‘Group of Friends of Haiti’ to Bolster Support

In a decisive move to address Haiti’s worsening crisis, Organization of American States (OAS) Secretary General Albert Ramdin launched the Group of Friends of Haiti during a high-level meeting at OAS headquarters.

The new coordination platform brings together key international partners to align political, security, and humanitarian efforts amid escalating violence, institutional collapse, and widespread suffering in Haiti.

The initiative aims to strengthen cooperation among stakeholders – including the Haitian government, the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), and the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission – through informal dialogue and strategic alignment.

Ramdin presented progress on a comprehensive Roadmap for Haiti, developed under OAS General Assembly Resolution 3039. Built on five pillars – security stabilization, humanitarian response, political consensus, electoral legitimacy, and sustainable development – the roadmap emphasizes Haitian ownership and coordinated international action.

“The path to stability demands unity, clarity, and results,” Ramdin said. “Every partner must know how and where to contribute – effectively and efficiently.”

Participants stressed the immediate need for MSS funding, expanded healthcare, food security programs, and economic revitalization. Ramdin also announced plans for an upcoming donor conference, to be led by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), to mobilize financial and logistical support.

The Roadmap will be finalized after further consultations and presented to the OAS Permanent Council in the coming weeks.

“Elevating this effort to a higher political level is essential,” Ramdin emphasized, reaffirming the OAS’s commitment to acting in accordance with its Charter and in close partnership with the Haitian people.