by Julie Wilson

Private sector agencies and the wider CARICOM region have been urged to assist violence-torn Haiti in rebuilding.

Secretary-General of the Organisation of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza, speaking during a Press conference ahead of the 28th CARICOM Heads of Government Meeting at Hilton Barbados yesterday, pledged that the social, economic and political issues that affected the poverty stricken Caribbean nation would be placed on the front burner.

He said despite millions of dollars being pumped into Haiti's parliamentary structure, the judiciary and police force were not functioning effectively and needed technical expertise to guide them.

Insulza thanked CARICOM nations for assistance rendered so far but said much more needed to be done.

Deputy Secretary-General of the OAS, Albert Ramdin, agreed with Insulza and stressed that Haiti did not have enough qualified people to operate the various branches of government and spoke of the importance of regional co-operation, especially in the area of education.

"CARICOM could assist Haiti at both the political and technical level. For instance, there is a new parliament in Haiti and it needs to function effectively and there is no reason why nationals from CARICOM cannot go in and help them set it up.

"Capacity building is key to the future success of Haiti and I do not see why the University of the West Indies cannot set up a campus in Port-au-Prince for students who can afford to pay for tertiary education. What is needed in Haiti is creative out-of-the-box ideas to assist Haiti in its development."

Regarding the role of the private sector, Ramdin said housing, creating employment opportunities and generating income opportunities were critical areas in which they could assist the government.

He also said a major trade show would be held in Haiti on October 22 and 23 in an attempt to showcase what the nation had to offer.

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