16185: Karshan: Remarks by Haiti's First Lady on fight against Trafficking in Children (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: MKarshan@aol.com

Remarks by Mrs. Mildred T. Aristide, First Lady of the Republic of Haiti, at
the Seminar on the Trafficking in Children

Mr. Minister of Justice,
Mr. Ambassador of the Dominican Republic in Haiti,
Mr. General Consul of Haiti in the Dominican Republic,
Dear guests,

I congratulate the leaders of UNICEF in Haiti and in the Dominican Republic
for the organization of this seminar on the trafficking in children, a
phenomenon that affects the lives of many children on both sides of the border.

The long and often painful history of the relations between our two countries
teaches us that the unity of minds between our two peoples is the only path
that can lead us to the improvement of our life conditions. President Mejìa and
President Aristide often repeat it, Haiti and the Dominican Republic are like
two wings of the same bird. Globalization and nations' interdependence are
even more burning and real for us who share the same land and who have a partly
common past.

Next October, Mrs. Mejìa, the First Lady of the Dominican Republic, will
welcome the Conference of Spouses of Heads of State and Government of Americas,
under the theme of "Youth and Poverty" -- an occasion to analyze the situation
of our young people throughout the continent. But this morning, we are here
together to discuss, more specifically, our Haitian children who go to the
Dominican Republic.

More and more, we hear about this phenomenon of trafficking in children. The
leaders of UNICEF have explained what these words mean to them. International
conventions define the term trafficking in children as the recruitment offer,
the transport, the transfer, the accommodation, the reception or the use of
children for hard labor, sexual exploitation, prostitution and pornography. A
very recent report from the United States State Department called "Trafficking
in Persons" included all types of placing of children outside their family,
which could exist in Haiti, as an aspect of trafficking in children. And this,
without any thorough explanation, without well-documented analysis. In this
report, Haiti is rated last among countries where there is trafficking in children.

We reject both this rating and this definition, because it is too large and
too confusing. We also reject the assertion according to which Haiti is a
country where children slavery is accepted. The use of such words and expressions
against a Southern country serves to hide the true nature of the reality, and
its complexities, with regard to the placement of children. Haiti, despite its
many difficulties, works for the respect of children's rights. It seems that
some people would like it to get there right away. However, reality has nothing
to do with fairy tales.

We prefer, as a starting point, to look at the facts as they really are and
see that today Haiti lives in an intense poverty, which causes, for the great
majority of our citizens, limited access to education, health care and heavy
losses in human lives due to HIV/AIDS.  These are the deep causes leading to the
placing of children outside their families, of which the first objective is
the search for a better life. And this reality is becoming more and more
burning for all poor countries.

We also note this other starting point, that today, despite this poverty,
Haiti is going through its third year of an immoral and unfair international
embargo that blocks the financing of projects directly related to the improvement
of the quality of life of its people and that keeps it from expending all
necessary material efforts to identify, condemn and block abuses observed in some
types of placing of children.

We also point out this starting point, that today, on the eve of the
bicentennial of our independence, we are working to reverse the illiteracy rate, to
build schools in the communal sections, to offer school meals to children and to
give access to health care to all.

That is what we are doing at this moment to fight, directly at the root, the
reasons that, too often, lead parents to separate from their children, to
place them somewhere else in the hope that they will find what they can't give
them. Because we, Haitians, subscribe to the universal law that wants all parents
to search for a better life for their children. Even when, forced by the hard
conditions of life, mothers of Haiti entrust their children to host families'
care in the context of a relation of support and solidarity, while they would
have always rather kept their children with them.

I care about this information, because the discriminatory use of the words
"slave" and "traffic" create confusion because then all Haitians become a
potential accomplice, which brings us further away from the real solutions we are
looking for.

That is why I appreciate the interesting information given by UNICEF in this
seminar. Indeed, knowing that, this morning, we are talking about this
phenomenon where parents and adults on both sides of the border are involved in
transactions to make children travel to the Dominican Republic, where they can be
victims of hard labor or other types of exploitation. This information
reinforces us because it is possible for us to answer in concrete terms. The
government can set up measures to block these crimes. In fact, instructions have
already been given to members of the new Minors Defense and Protection Squad for
them to go in the areas where those crimes are recorded in order to investigate.

If those areas don't have schools, health care, economic activities, we must
target them for present and future intervention. I encourage UNICEF to offer
concrete solutions to the problems presented which deserve a social response,
not only a legal response.

It is certain that the May 15, 2003 law that forbids any trafficking in
children and abolishes Chapter 9 of the Labor Regulations which, during 57 years,
had sanctioned children's domestic labor, cannot by itself block this practice.
But it shows clearly the government's will to abolish it.

And for all the children who are already affected by this trafficking, we
must act. And dialogue is the first step of the action. That's why we, Haitians,
are very happy to welcome Dominican authorities to see how together we can put
an end to this crime witnessed by our common border.

Thank you.

Mrs. Mildred Aristide

Montana Hotel

07/11/2003