Mission of the Minister of Agriculture

Hébert Docteur, the Haitian Minister of Agriculture declared that the three strong points of his mission [of February 2-3, 2012] were : the launch of program of technology transfer to farmers of North and Northeast - the dialogue with farmers' associations - the supervision of the progress of the construction of the mill community mill of St Raphaël.

Concerning the participation of the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development to the Carnival 2012, he stated that this participation will be a plea to the peasantry, so that it strengthens and a recognition of their importance in the economy.

New Ambassador of the European Union in Haiti

Ms Catherine ASHTON, the High Representative of the European Union (EU) announced yesterday the appointment of a new Ambassador in Port-au-Prince, the Spanish, Javier Niño Perez successor to the Italian Carlo de Filippi. Javier Niño was far, Charge d'Affaires of the EU delegation to Cuba. He made much of his career at the European Commission (EC), at the Directorate General RELEX and in the delegations. Graduated from the University of Valladolid (Spain), as well as the College of Bruges and the Université Libre de Brussels (ULB), he joined the EC in 1994, after having worked in the field of development cooperation.

First edition of Carnival of Book

The National Directorate of the Book (DNL) has proceeded yesterday to the launched to the first edition of Carnival of Book. According to Frantz Jean Michel Carly, Director General of the DNL, the Carnival of Book will serve as a preamble to a major public awareness campaign and of promotion of reading.

"An nou li pou peyi’n ka vanse" is the theme chosen for the Carnival of Book, which will take place throughout the territory, during the carnival period from the Wednesday, February 8, 2012. The organizers plan several activities as part of this carnival, including games of 18 radio stations in the country, including 9 in Port-au-Prince. About 5,000 books will be distributed in favor of the winners of these games. A budget of 5.5 million gourdes was estimated for the realization of this event.

Waiver of the immunity of certain soldiers of the Minustah ?

The Senator Youri Latortue announced that he would submit to the Assembly of Senators, a resolution demanding the lifting of immunity of the soldiers of the Minustah accused and involved in crimes committed in Haiti and which escape the Haitian justice... The Senator Latortue think that if this resolution is adopted by the great body, the Minustah will have no other choice that to deliver the soldiers involved to judicial authorities.

It is unlikely that this initiative, as commendable it is has any scope. The Minustah is protected, as the UN system, by international agreements on diplomatic immunities. This means that it is not possible to file a complaint in national courts. Neither the Senate nor the Parliament nor Haiti [signatory of these international agreements], can alter such agreements. Only countries whose troops are involved have the power to levy, levy eventually, the immunity of the individuals concerned.

HL/ HaitiLibre