USA/PANAMA CITY – The executive president of CAF —the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean — Sergio Díaz-Granados, and the secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS), Albert R. Ramdin, held a bilateral meeting today in which they agreed to strengthen cooperation between the two institutions through the implementation of joint initiatives in the areas of multidimensional security and democracy.
The meeting took place in the framework of the International Economic Forum – Latin America and the Caribbean 2026, organised by CAF at the Panama City Convention Center. During the meeting, both leaders announced two initiatives that reflect a shared vision to promote sustainable development, strengthen institutions, and expand inclusion in the region.
“The alliance between CAF and the OAS demonstrates that multilateralism is the path to addressing the most complex challenges facing our region. Through these initiatives, we are turning cooperation into concrete action: generating strategic information to strengthen citizen security and ensuring that millions of Haitian citizens can exercise their right to identity, access public services, and fully participate in the institutional life of their country,” said Sergio Díaz-Granados, executive president of CAF.
For his part, OAS secretary-general Albert R. Ramdin stated that “this alliance between CAF and the OAS sends a clear political message: the region can move forward when multilateralism translates into concrete actions. With these two initiatives, we reaffirm two inseparable priorities: protecting our societies and strengthening the democratic compact, and ensuring that every person counts and is recognised by the state. In Haiti, supporting the right to identity is an affirmation of citizenship and dignity; at the regional level, strengthening evidence-based cooperation is a sign of shared responsibility in the face of threats that know no borders.”
The first initiative is the launch of the Regional Observatory on Organized Crime and Illicit Markets, a platform that will generate, systematise, and disseminate strategic information to support the design of effective public policies to address transnational organised crime in the region.
The Observatory will develop standardized methodologies for comparative analysis, produce periodic reports and thematic studies, provide technical assistance to member countries, and operate as an open-access information platform. Its first phase is expected to become operational during the second quarter of 2026.
Through this alliance, CAF and the OAS take a strategic step to equip Latin American and Caribbean countries with evidence-based tools to design more effective security policies. The Observatory will help close information gaps, strengthen regional cooperation, and generate applied knowledge to support decision-making under principles of transparency and collaboration.
The second initiative is CAF’s support for Haiti’s National Identification Card Program, implemented by the OAS. CAF’s contribution will help sustain essential program operations while additional financing continues to be mobilised to expand its reach.
The program seeks to strengthen the operational and logistical capacities of Haiti’s National Identification Office (ONI) to ensure the timely issuance and delivery of identity documents, promoting the exercise of fundamental rights and the inclusion of citizens in the country’s institutional life.
Since 2023, with the support of the OAS and its partners, the ONI has registered more than 1.07 million new citizens, bringing the total number of registered individuals to more than 6.36 million. During the same period, more than 1.22 million identification cards have been issued, meaning that 5.62 million Haitians currently hold valid identity documents.
In view of the elections projected for August and December 2026, maintaining this support will be essential to strengthening legal identity as an enabling condition for Haitian citizens to exercise their right to vote, as well as to access public services and development opportunities, strengthening civic participation and contributing to the country’s institutional strengthening.
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