Haiti: The need for a democratic playbook on counter-Kleptocracy for her advancement

Haiti has a long history of political instability and corruption, which has hindered the country’s progress and development. In recent years, there has been a growing recognition that the fight against corruption and kleptocracy is essential for building a stable, prosperous, and democratic Haiti. To achieve this, Haiti needs a democratic playbook on counter-kleptocracy.

What is a democratic playbook on counter-kleptocracy?

A democratic playbook on counter-kleptocracy is a set of strategies and policies that can be implemented to combat corruption and kleptocracy in a democratic society.
Such a playbook would need to be tailored to the specific challenges faced by Haiti and should include the following elements:

1. Strong and Independent Institutions: Haiti needs solid and independent institutions to investigate and prosecute corruption cases. That includes a strong judiciary, an independent prosecutor’s office, and a well-resourced anti-corruption agency.
2. Transparency and Accountability: Transparency and accountability are essential for combating corruption. Haiti needs to ensure that public officials are held accountable for their actions and that citizens have access to information about government activities.
3. Anti-Money Laundering Measures: Haiti needs to implement robust anti-money laundering measures to prevent corrupt officials from laundering their ill-gotten gains.
4. Whistleblower Protection: Whistleblowers play a crucial role in exposing corruption. Haiti must ensure whistleblowers are protected from retaliation and have the necessary support to come forward.
5. International Cooperation: Combating kleptocracy requires international cooperation. Haiti must work with other countries and international organizations to investigate and prosecute corruption cases and recover stolen assets.In addition to these elements, a democratic playbook on counter-kleptocracy should also include a clear strategy for engaging citizens in the fight against corruption.

That may consist of public awareness campaigns, citizen oversight mechanisms, and opportunities for citizen participation in government decision-making.

The conduct of diplomacy for actionalism.

As the French sociologist Alan Touraine said: ‘People are the agents of the system in the society who act and run it’. Diplomacy represents the civic society and advocates for materializing social actions; such as the democratic playbook. Nevertheless, to integrate people in the democratic process, equal opportunities of digital connectivity, with equal representation and accessibility must exist.

The need to partnership for goals.

To decouple from kleptocracy the foundations of society must be reinforced by intersectional and holistic projects—all humanitarian developments need to work synchronously for complementation and joint efforts. For instance, to implement the democratic playbook, the local and foreign diplomatic efforts should establish partnerships to align objectives into the same goal of social welfare. An example would be:

Core Focus:

Kleptocracy and Corruption in Haiti

• Corruption placed Haiti on the Transparency International’s 2021 Corruption Perception Index on the number 164 out of 180 countries, being number 1 the less corrupted country.

Indirect Focus:

Connectivity and Inequality in Haiti

• In 2020, the World Bank reported that only 35% of the population uses broadband internet, with extreme inequalities of access between urban and rural areas.
• Inequalities are also presented on genders where only 7% of woman and girls have access to internet.

Aligned Objectives & Capacity Building:

Government and Diplomacy Actions in Haiti

• Through a partnership between the World Bank and the Haitian government, in October of 2020 the Haiti Digital Acceleration Project was approved with a cost of US$60 million.
• The project will have international consultant services since the environmental and social risk has been labeled as substantial.

Expected Intersectional Project Outcomes:

Haiti Digital Acceleration Project

• Promote equal and quality digital-education, empower global citizens with an international voice to report injustices and corruption.
• Digital technology in Haiti can create economical thrive, more jobs, governance transparency, policy-making, and strengthen resilience.

This is an example of how diplomacy, as the art of negotiating global justice and peaceful relationships between nations, societies or individuals, will strategically advocate for other initiatives as well. Now, after the Digital Acceleration Project was approved, an opportunity to integrate a democratic playbook to mitigate corruption arises.

Overall, implementing the playbook on counter-kleptocracy is crucial for advancing Haiti. By combating corruption and kleptocracy, Haiti can build a more stable, prosperous, and democratic society that is better equipped to meet the needs of its citizens.