On January 31, 2022, the United Nations Human Rights Council held Haiti’s third Universal Periodic Review (UPR) as an evaluation of the country’s human rights compliance. Unfortunately, many civil society organizations feel that the country’s present challenges were glossed over in the Haitian government’s report. This was a disappointment to them and to UN entities who submitted reports showing that Haiti is not only failing to meet its human rights obligations, but access to certain rights has deteriorated since the last review in 2016.
The Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti (IJDH), long-time Channel grantee partner working in collaboration with their Haiti-based partner Bureau des Avocats Internationaux (BAI), and a few other organizations, submitted two reports in advance of Haiti’s UPR – one on challenges to the country’s justice sector and another on gender-based violence. On February 9, 2022, IJDH hosted a panel discussion featuring organizations who worked on these reports with them. The panel discussed the UPR, the Haitian government’s compliance with its recommendations, and the broader human rights situation in Haiti.
Panelists included:
- Mario Joseph, Managing Attorney, Bureau des Avocats Internationaux (BAI)
- Sasha Filippova, Senior Staff Attorney, Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti (IJDH)
- Rosy Auguste Ducena, Program Director, Réseau National de Défense des Droits Humains (RNDDH)
- Michelle Karshan, Executive Director, Alternative Chance
IJDH continued the conversation on March 8, 2022, in honor of International Women’s Day, with a webinar on the advancement of women’s rights in Haiti. The webinar featured a panel of three Haitian women working to promote women’s empowerment in Haiti.
Panelists included:
- Pascale Solages, Co-founder and General Coordinator, Nègès Mawon
- Monique Clesca, Commission to Search for a Haitian Solution to the Crisis
- Marie Kattia Dorestant-Lefruy, Staff Attorney, Bureau des Avocats Internationaux (BAI), leader of BAI’s Rape Accountability and Prevention Project
