On April 14, 2025, the Inter-American Defense Board (IADB) received the visit of the Haitian Delegation, led by Mr. Smith Augustin, Head of the Haitian Presidential Transitional Council, in the Council of Delegates Chamber.
The meeting was attended by the President and Vice President of the Council of Delegates, the Director General of the IADB Secretariat, and the Director of the Inter-American Defense College (IADC), who officially welcomed the visiting delegation.
The formal ceremony began with remarks by the President of the Council of Delegates and the Director General of the IADB, who emphasized the importance of the visit in strengthening multilateral relations between Haiti and the OAS member states. They also highlighted the role of the IADB as a technical, consultative, and educational forum that promotes hemispheric cooperation in security and defense matters.
The Haitian delegation was composed of distinguished officials, including Her Excellency Ambassador Myrtha Désulmé, Permanent Representative of Haiti to the OAS; Mr. Mathias Pierre, Chief of Staff; Deputy Ambassador Jean Josué Pierre; Minister Counselor Frantz Elbé; Minister Counselor Pierre Michael Bonnet, Chief of Delegates of Haiti to the IADB; Mr. Claudy Eugène, Political Counselor to the President-Counselor; Ms. Esther Antoine, Special Advisor; Mr. Arold Julien, Advisor on Electoral Affairs; and Counselor Sherlo Antoine to the OAS.
During the meeting, the President of the IADB's Council of Delegates presented a comprehensive overview of the organization, highlighting its multilateral nature and its mandate as a technical body of the OAS.
The IADB's advisory, coordination, and educational functions were explained, as well as the activities it carries out to promote interoperability among the Armed Forces of the hemisphere.
For his part, Mr. Smith Augustin shared the current situation in Haiti, highlighting the challenges the country faces in terms of security, governance, and institutional strengthening. In this context, he expressed his interest in exploring opportunities for cooperation with the IADB in the areas of technical advice, personnel training, experience sharing, and capacity building.
The visit was a significant opportunity to consolidate the dialogue between Haiti and the IADB, as well as the Haitian Presidential Transitional Council's commitment to the principles of multilateral cooperation and institutional strengthening within the framework of the OAS.
Finally, as part of the protocol activities, Mr. Smith Augustin signed the IADB's distinguished visitors' book, recording his visit and reaffirming the ties of friendship and collaboration between Haiti and the Inter-American Defense Board.
