OCNH and its Advocacy for a Modernized Civil Registry
By La Rédaction · Port-au-Prince
· 2 min read · Updated 24 April 2026
Translated from French — AI-assisted and reviewed by the editorial team. The French version is authoritative. Read the original · About our translation policy
PÉTION-VILLE, Haiti.— The Organization of Citizens for a New Haiti (OCNH) organized its second forum on a modernized civil registry. This time, the organization focused on a major issue concerning the reform of the Haitian civil registry system.
Participants in this forum: legal professionals, civil society actors, and representatives of international organizations, all agreed that the Haitian civil registry system is inefficient, outdated, and inadequate.
In his opening remarks, the Executive Director of OCNH, Me Camille Occius, recalled that the right to identity is a fundamental human right guaranteed by international texts ratified by Haiti.
An Alarming Diagnosis
“It’s a system in crisis,” declared Me Camille Occius, emphasizing that the forum is an advocacy for its modernization.
“Lack of electricity, absence of equipment, poorly trained or underpaid staff,” he noted, stressing that the situation is even more concerning in remote areas. These shortcomings, he argued, compromise the right to identity for thousands of citizens, particularly internally displaced persons fleeing violence. “It is not a favor. It is a legal and moral obligation of the Haitian State,” he stated. Recommendations for Sustainable Structural Solutions The forum was organized into several thematic panels addressing crucial topics. The first panel, bringing together Me Lacks-Guvens Cadette, Me Sybille Belance, and former deputy Clauvy Robas, was dedicated to the legal and operational framework. It highlighted the many flaws of the current legal system. A second panel, focused on international partnership and the right to identity, allowed Mauvais Remy, UNHCR representative, to emphasize the importance of external support to carry out a thorough reform. Me Jean Simon Saint-Hubert, former electoral advisor. Jocelyne Colas Noël and Me Jean Bonald G. Fatal, for their part, debated the obstacles to the effectiveness of the right to identity. Among the recommendations formulated: the digitization of registers, continuous training for agents, the revision of the legislative framework, as well as the creation of a national reform commission. Similar activities have been organized in the North-East department, Grande-Anse, Centre, and now in the West department. OCNH intends to continue this endeavor in other regions of the country to draw the attention of decision-makers to the necessity of a structural reform that can guarantee every citizen easy, secure, and equitable access to the civil registry. Jean Mapou
“Lack of electricity, absence of equipment, poorly trained or underpaid staff,” he noted, stressing that the situation is even more concerning in remote areas. These shortcomings, he argued, compromise the right to identity for thousands of citizens, particularly internally displaced persons fleeing violence. “It is not a favor. It is a legal and moral obligation of the Haitian State,” he stated. Recommendations for Sustainable Structural Solutions The forum was organized into several thematic panels addressing crucial topics. The first panel, bringing together Me Lacks-Guvens Cadette, Me Sybille Belance, and former deputy Clauvy Robas, was dedicated to the legal and operational framework. It highlighted the many flaws of the current legal system. A second panel, focused on international partnership and the right to identity, allowed Mauvais Remy, UNHCR representative, to emphasize the importance of external support to carry out a thorough reform. Me Jean Simon Saint-Hubert, former electoral advisor. Jocelyne Colas Noël and Me Jean Bonald G. Fatal, for their part, debated the obstacles to the effectiveness of the right to identity. Among the recommendations formulated: the digitization of registers, continuous training for agents, the revision of the legislative framework, as well as the creation of a national reform commission. Similar activities have been organized in the North-East department, Grande-Anse, Centre, and now in the West department. OCNH intends to continue this endeavor in other regions of the country to draw the attention of decision-makers to the necessity of a structural reform that can guarantee every citizen easy, secure, and equitable access to the civil registry. Jean Mapou
