The OCNH Addresses Recommendations to the Haitian State Following the Concluding Observations of the UN Human Rights Committee
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
In a statement published this Monday, July 21, 2025, the Organization of Citizens for a New Haiti (OCNH) welcomes the Concluding Observations adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Committee on July 15, 2025, following the review of Haiti's second periodic report.
Having actively participated in this review on July 3 and 4 in Geneva, the OCNH — led by Me Camille Occius — urges the Haitian authorities to urgently and concretely implement all the recommendations issued by the Committee, with the assistance of national and international partners, notably the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
In accordance with its priority areas of intervention, the OCNH particularly calls on the Haitian State to:
1. Facilitate birth registration and access to identity or civil status documents, especially for those who have lost them;
2. Guarantee the independence and impartiality of the judicial system, by ensuring that the procedures for the selection, appointment, promotion, and dismissal of judges are transparent, equitable, and in accordance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and international standards;
3. Allocate sufficient budgetary resources for the proper functioning of justice, including to strengthen the security of judges, judicial personnel, and court infrastructure;
4. Promptly open independent and rigorous investigations into all past human rights violations, prosecute alleged perpetrators, punish those found guilty proportionally, and offer victims appropriate remedies and reparations, while taking preventive measures to avoid the recurrence of such violations;
5. Conduct thorough, impartial, and independent investigations into all allegations of corruption at all levels of the State, and ensure that those responsible are prosecuted and, where appropriate, fairly convicted, with compensation for victims;
6. Conduct rigorous investigations into sexual violence and violence against women and children, particularly that perpetrated by armed groups, and punish perpetrators while ensuring victims access to justice, care, and reparations;
7. Protect displaced persons, especially women and girls, against all forms of violence, including sexual violence;
8. Ensure the full exercise of the right to political participation, and create the necessary conditions for the organization of credible, transparent, free, and fair elections. Further in its statement, the OCNH reaffirms its commitment to fully fulfill its role as a watchdog and defender of human rights. It intends to continue its advocacy efforts for the implementation of these recommendations and calls on all local organizations, as well as national and international actors, to unite their efforts for concerted and swift action. “Our common goal is to build a Haiti founded on the respect and protection of human rights,” the statement concludes.
1. Facilitate birth registration and access to identity or civil status documents, especially for those who have lost them;
2. Guarantee the independence and impartiality of the judicial system, by ensuring that the procedures for the selection, appointment, promotion, and dismissal of judges are transparent, equitable, and in accordance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and international standards;
3. Allocate sufficient budgetary resources for the proper functioning of justice, including to strengthen the security of judges, judicial personnel, and court infrastructure;
4. Promptly open independent and rigorous investigations into all past human rights violations, prosecute alleged perpetrators, punish those found guilty proportionally, and offer victims appropriate remedies and reparations, while taking preventive measures to avoid the recurrence of such violations;
5. Conduct thorough, impartial, and independent investigations into all allegations of corruption at all levels of the State, and ensure that those responsible are prosecuted and, where appropriate, fairly convicted, with compensation for victims;
6. Conduct rigorous investigations into sexual violence and violence against women and children, particularly that perpetrated by armed groups, and punish perpetrators while ensuring victims access to justice, care, and reparations;
7. Protect displaced persons, especially women and girls, against all forms of violence, including sexual violence;
8. Ensure the full exercise of the right to political participation, and create the necessary conditions for the organization of credible, transparent, free, and fair elections. Further in its statement, the OCNH reaffirms its commitment to fully fulfill its role as a watchdog and defender of human rights. It intends to continue its advocacy efforts for the implementation of these recommendations and calls on all local organizations, as well as national and international actors, to unite their efforts for concerted and swift action. “Our common goal is to build a Haiti founded on the respect and protection of human rights,” the statement concludes.
