DECLARATION June 27th 2025

Port-au-Prince, Haiti

We, Haitian Citizens and Patriots,

On 27 March 2025, a group of 15 public and private universities in the country and several other civil society and diaspora organizations issued a call convening the nation to a major mobilization to find a lasting solution to get the country out of the current situation:

  • After organizing 11 preparatory congresses: 10 departmental congresses coordinated by the Public Universities of the Regions (UPR) and a diaspora congress organized by the Haitian Studies Association (HSA) which gathers several hundred professors and intellectuals conducting research on Haiti, in universities around the world;
  • – After analyzing more than 60 reports on insecurity, transition, elections, constitution and other issues submitted by various organizations to the Technical Secretariat of the Congress;
  • – After holding more than 20 sectoral meetings, as well as preparatory congresses with various political, private and civil society organizations (youth, peasants, women, etc.);
  • – After presentations, analyses, discussions and workshops organized at the NATIONAL CONGRESS on June 26th and 27th, 2025;

 

WE DECLARE

  1. Security First – Mobilize to Declare War on Gangs

We must declare war on gangs and stop relying on foreigners to save us from the scourge of insecurity that is facing the country. Let’s count on ourselves, responsible and coherent leaders. To begin with, there must be no discord among the leaders of the state at this critical moment. All energies must be focused on gang control, in accordance with a precise and well thought out NATIONAL SECURITY PLAN ;

 

  1. Security First – Mobilize maximum resources in the fight against gangs.

State forces must not be dispersed in a multitude of disorganized actions that do not contribute in any way to the fight against insecurity. Maximum resources from the Treasury must be concentrated in an organized struggle. To achieve this, all privileges enjoyed by the CPT members and all other expenses related to travel abroad, symposia, conferences and holidays not necessary for the operation of the State must be abolished;

  1. Security Priority – Establish a robust intelligence system.

Organize a robust  intelligence system where all the resources currently dispersed at the Primature, the Presidential Transitional Council (PTC) and in other departments are re-allocated to the countrywide central intelligence effort.

  1. Security Priority – Control of Borders.

Haiti does not manufacture weapons or ammunition. Everyone knows they come from elsewhere. Therefore, significant resources must be mobilized at the maritime border and at the border with the Dominican Republic. The authorities must take the initiative to call on the Dominican government to intensify its efforts to combat trafficking of cross-border arms and ammunition. This work can be done through bilateral efforts.

  1. Safety First – A major overhaul is needed within the Haitian National Police (HNP).

Thorough and impartial investigations must be conducted at all levels of the HNP, with use of various technologies, to detect and arrest all police officers who collaborate with gangs or support gangs. We must publicly denounce the guilty, judge and punish them to the full extent of the law.

  1. Security First – The innocent cannot pay for the guilty.

Police must not shoot young men and women living in disadvantaged neighbourhoods because of their appearance, without confirmation that these young people pose a danger to the lives of police officers or others.

  1. Security Priority – Supporting Self-Defense Brigades

Without Self-Defense Brigades, many neighborhoods would have already fallen. The police must support the brigades under the National Security Plan, in order to increase their effectiveness, within an orderly institutional framework that is respectful of the judiciary, and avoids abuses. Further reflection must also occur on the role brigades can play in society in the future.

  1. Security Priority – Protecting strategic facilities

The police and military must protect the country’s strategic facilities, such as seaports, airports, energy and telecommunications facilities through systematic vigilance operations.

  1. Security First – Pursuing All Who Support or Fund Gangs

The judicial system must conduct thorough investigations of all individuals in conjunction with the United Nations Security Council Organizations, foreign governments and human rights organizations, to identify sponsors and supporters of gangs, as well as those who purchase weapons for the gangs or fund the  gangs and  their leaders.

  1. Security First – Saving Child Soldiers

As part of the plan to disarm and dismantle gangs, we must provide special action to disarm, train, reintegrate and mentor CHILDREN SOLDIERS who are also victims of gangs. They have already been victims of a society that abandoned them.

  1. Solidarity with the Displaced Populations

More than one million people displaced by gangs live as refugees in their own country. We support the demands of these displaced persons to create conditions for their return home with institutional, financial and psychosocial support in order to live in peace. We do not forget our brothers and sisters who were forced to flee their country, under difficult conditions and are being abused, especially in the Dominican Republic and the United States ;

  1. Solidarity so that businesses, jobs and lives can be restored

The gangs destroyed, vandalized, looted and burned a large number of businesses and social institutions in the Western Department, Artibonite and Central Plateau. We support the demands of these companies, workers and social institutions so better conditions can be established so they can receive ongoing support, allowing them to resume their activities and daily routines;

 

 

  1. End of transition. Transition cannot be a sustainable model of governance.

We must work to get out of these transitions, immediately. The only way out is through elections. But we must have quality elections, independent of the mafia, foreigners or leaders in power. Therefore, the Patriotic Congress wishes to mobilize society so that high-quality, trustworthy elections are organized, as soon as possible, with the country’s own resources.

  1. Election. The current Provisional Electoral Council (PEC) K.E.P. does not demonstrate the ability or willingness to hold credible elections.

Their selection was not consensual; their operation lacks transparency; no audit of important files has taken place, etc. Important work must be done on the composition of the Provisional Electoral Council (PEC) as well its functioning in transparency, and with the participation of credible sectors of society. This is the only way to ensure people’s confidence in the elections.

  1. Constitution. A Constitution is an important component of the organization of the State and society.

Making changes to the constitution, even with good intentions, must not be taken lightly.  It can do more harm than good in the country. All experts agree that the conditions are not in place for holding a referendum to amend the 1987 amended Constitution, as the transitional government wishes. We say, “Stop Now!” Stop wasting our time ! Stop wasting the country’s resources !

  1. Governance – It is the business of the children of the country, with complete serenity!

Poor governance is one of the main causes of all the difficulties the country is facing today. It creates insecurity and fosters  its spread across the country. It impoverishes the country and makes us dependent on international charity. That is our sole responsibility as Haitians. We, as the children of the country, must come together to decide which direction we must take to save our country;

  1. Governance – Rethinking Executive Power.

The current governance model is very expensive. And for what result? The current nine-member PTC as well as the government have failed! They have not solved the problem of insecurity. We have lost territory after territory. They have not set us on the road to good elections.  Therefore, should society leave this PTC at the head of the country forever, while they fail to even enforce the April 3rd agreement which legitimized them? Necessary change is therefore a must.  Several resolutions have been proposed during the Congress to identify more effective forms of governance, from fewer members in the PTC to naming a president from the Superior Court. We ask the Congress Monitoring Committee to communicate with all other social, economic and political forces in the country to reach consensus on the changes needed to lead the state out of the disaster it was plunged into.

  1. Governance – Control of executive power during transition.

Recently, the country has just experienced four years of governance without any counterbalance to the executive power. We have seen the consequences. Therefore, we demand that any decision taken in the country’s governance should include a mechanism for executive control. There must therefore be a monitoring entity in the government. This monitoring entity must be established at the same time as the government is elected, not later.

  1. Ethics and morals in public life

The participants in the Patriotic Congress noted that ethical and moral values were losing ground in society, particularly in the political and business sectors. We recognize that this issue is a major challenge for the national education system, which must make it a priority in educational programs and practices. We recognize that the issue of ethics and morals begins within the family; training must also take place in local communities. Meanwhile, we call on state leaders, in particular, to refrain from setting bad examples for society. We ask them to lead the country morally, respecting ethical values. We ask private sector leaders and all other professionals to do the same.

RESOLUTIONS TAKEN

Before the nation, we commit ourselves to continue the work! All the work done under the PATRIOTIC CONGRESS for NATIONAL RESCUE should not be a mere talk. As we ask those responsible, each at his own level, to implement the recommendations of this declaration, we will not give up, we will continue the work so that the country can achieve the much-needed final results.

RESOLUTION 1:          SUSTAIN THE MOBILIZATION

We started MOBILIZING for a National Rescue. We want to remain MOBILIZED to continue facilitating dialogue between all sectors of the country, to create the conditions to launch the country on the path to building a New Haiti, together, in stability, total security and justice everywhere. A New Haiti where everyone is valued, where people can access all essential services, where people respect each other.

RESOLUTION 2:          FOLLOW-UP COMMITTEES

In order to continue this life-saving work, participants in the PATRIOTIC CONGRESS FOR NATIONAL RESCUE decided to establish a Monitoring Committee with representatives of universities and the various organizations, signatories to the Declaration of 27 March 2025. The mission of the Monitoring Committee is to:

  • Promote the Final Declaration of the National Patriotic Congress to get the authorities to implement the recommendations that follow;
  • ather the forces of the entire society in a patriotic movement to save the country;
  • Invite citizens to participate in the forthcoming meetings that will be held;
  • Organize the work to continue the reflections on all the other major issues that the Congress has been called to address, such as the urgent humanitarian catastrophe, economic recovery, impunity in the judiciary system, corruption within the state, decentralization, education system, etc. ;
  • Creating a space for dialogue between Haitians in all sectors, in order to reach agreement to ensure that the country is committed to democracy and development. This path must be through the organization of free, honest and credible elections that will facilitate the installation of a trusted government;
  • Adopt a strategy that ensures the implementation of the recommendations from the Congress, so that they can become the reality.

RESOLUTION 3:          UNIVERSITY WORKING GROUP ON HAITI

The National Patriotic Congress demonstrates the ability of universities across the country to gather educated people, and create conditions for them to reflect and interact with the general population on the country’s problems.   As the Congress continues to focus on this life-saving mission, we call on universities to remain united under the banner of knowledge and science, to continue to invigorate all other levels of national life. For example, the Congress will make it possible to make more people aware of the extraordinary work of research and scientific analysis carried out by universities over the past five years under the “Trase Nouvo Chimen” (T.N.C)/ “Designing New Roadmaps” project, in various communal sections, on various aspects of local life.

This university Think-Tank should share national knowledge, provide scientific and moral training to guide our leaders in central government and local government, and guide them towards problem-solving agendas in the economic, social, political, ecological sectors, etc., in finding solutions to create wealth in the country and for well-being to become a reality for the whole population. The country is fortunate to have experts, both within  and outside its borders. It must benefit from the knowledge and analytical skills of all of its patriots.

IN CONCLUSION

Haitians, Haitian Patriots! Over the past six months, honest, upstanding and competent citizens who participated in the Patriotic Congress and its organization have clearly demonstrated that Haiti still has valuable patriotic citizens. We have demonstrated that the country has people with knowledge and skills. We have demonstrated our discipline and our ability to come together, to respectfully dialogue, even if we do not always agree, in order to find lasting solutions for our country among us Haitians.

Therefore, we, the participants in the PATRIOTIC CONGRESS for NATIONAL RESCUE, decided not to give up. We will continue to assume our responsibility as citizens to facilitate dialogues that will allow us to emerge from the crisis.

The country deserves it. We all deserve it.

 

For the NATIONAL PATRIOTIC CONGRESS

Marc Prou, PhD, General Coordinator

For the Steering committee in the 10 departments in Haiti and in the Diaspora

Yves Voltaire, Rector UPNip

Manejacques Dodat Jean, PhD, Rector UPAG

Carole M. Berotte Joseph, PhD, H.S.A., Ex Rector in the United States of America