The International Civilian Mission in Haiti (MICIVIH, from the ) was a joint civilian mission in
Haiti
Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of the Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican ...
by the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
and the
Organization of American States
The Organization of American States (OAS or OEA; ; ; ) is an international organization founded on 30 April 1948 to promote cooperation among its member states within the Americas.
Headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, the OAS is ...
. It was created in February 1993, with a mandate focussed on protection of human rights and legitimate state institutions. MICIVIH was the response to a request from deposed president
Jean-Bertrand Aristide
Jean-Bertrand Aristide (; born 15 July 1953) is a Haitian former Salesian priest and politician who became Haiti's first democratically elected president in 1991 before being deposed in a coup d'état. As a priest, he taught liberation theo ...
. Most of the mission staff was evacuated in October 1993, and the mission was suspended for multiple months in 1994. It then continued until its mandate expired in 2000.
It was the United Nations first joint mission with a regional organization: in this case, the Organization of American States (OAS).
MICIVIH achievements at the national level
MICIVIH assisted in persuading to stop the military junta commanded by Gen.
Raoul Cédras
Joseph Raoul Cédras (born July 9, 1949) is a Haitian former military officer who was the '' de facto'' ruler of Haiti from 1991 to 1994. Cedras was the last military ruler of Haiti.
Background
A mulatto, Cédras was educated in the United St ...
, and therefore, put a halt in the violations of human rights inflicted by the military. The mission assisted in the dismantling of the old military system and in the creation of a new
police force
The police are a constituted body of people empowered by a state with the aim of enforcing the law and protecting the public order as well as the public itself. This commonly includes ensuring the safety, health, and possessions of citizen ...
, trained and aware of the respect for human rights. It propitiated a more civilized environment, in the political and social aspects. A requirement to achieve future
economic development
In economics, economic development (or economic and social development) is the process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals and object ...
desperately needed in this impoverished country.
MICIVIH achievements at the international level
The mission encouraged the expansion of human right presences and the creation of new offices of human rights, in countries similarly affected by the violation of human rights. It also contributed to the opening of the office for the
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is a department of the United Nations Secretariat that works to promote and protect human rights that are guaranteed under international law and stipulated in the Univers ...
,
the bureau that oversees all activities of the UN system related to human rights.
Personnel
The executive director from 1993 to 2000 was Colin Granderson;
the deputy executive director from 1996 to 2000 was Rodolfo Mattarollo.
References
External links
International Civilian Mission in Haiti: MICIVIHDepartment for the Promotion of Peace, Organization of American States.
{{UN Special Political Missions
Human rights in Haiti