The governments of Haiti and the Dominican Republic have announced a three-point agreement that prioritizes talks over other ways of resolving any situation related to individuals affected by the September 2013 Constitutional Court ruling 168-13. Both countries agreed to introduce the measures needed for guaranteeing respect for the human rights of the individuals concerned.
The agreement was signed by Minister of the Presidency Gustavo Montalvo and Minister of Foreign Relations of Haiti Pierre-Richard Casimir.
At a meeting with the mediation of Venezuelan government officials, both countries agreed to:
1. Confirm that the dialogue will be used to resolve any situation related to people of Haitian origin born in the Dominican Republic affected by the application of Constitutional Court ruling 168-13. Give priority to dialogue over other ways.
2. Reaffirm their willingness to move forward in all measures necessary to guarantee legal certainty, the full enjoyment and respect for the rights of people of Haitian descent born in the Dominican Republic.
3. While over the next few days the Dominican government will make public a series of decisions in this regard, the two governments have agreed to hold a meeting to reach satisfactory agreements.
Prior to the announcement, a closed door meeting took place between Haitian and Dominican authorities at the San Isidro Air Base yesterday, Thursday 21 November mediated by Venezuelan diplomats discussed the positions regarding moving ahead with the foreigner legalization plan announced in the Constitutional Court ruling. The ruling gives the Dominican government 90 days to begin the implementation of the legalization plan that was ordered by the Immigration Law passed in 2004.
The meeting head by Minister of the Presidency Gustavo Montalvo and Haitian Foreign Minister Casimir took place after a high-level Dominican delegation traveled to Venezuela on Tuesday, 18 November.
Haitian Foreign Minister Casimir has been active traveling around the world to lobby for the Dominican Republic to nationalize all Haitians born in the Dominican Republic.
The Presidency announced that the National Immigration Council would meet today, Friday 22 November to review the proposals received for the National Legalization Plan. Council chairman, Minister of Interior & Police Jose Ramon Fadul said that talks would continue with the Haitian authorities with the mediation of Venezuela. “Venezuela has offered to facilitate, as it is concerned about the matter, and wants harmony in the region, and we positively value that,” said Fadul. He said there would be other meetings next week, with officials from Caricom, the Organization of American States Human Rights Commission, the United Nations and others. Fadul announced that the country would continue to explain the Constitutional Court ruling on Dominican nationality and the foreigner legalization plan internationally.
The Dominican Republic has sought Haiti’s cooperation to move forward with the legalization plan. The JCE has stated: “The principal difficulty faced by the Dominican Republic when registering foreigners from Haiti and their descendants in their corresponding legal status is the absence on their part of a civil registry culture and the fact that there is a significant number of nationals to whom that state does not guarantee essential rights that are part of the Inter-American Convention for Human Rights such as the right to a name, last name and nationality, that is to be recognized by the state and their proper identification by not issuing any identification document as nationals of that state.”
http://presidencia.gob.do/comunicados/rd-y-hait%C3%AD-acuerdan-priorizar-el-dialogo-ante-cualquier-otra-v%C3%ADa-0
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