A new element has just been added to the success of the mission of the Haitian delegation which took part in the 39th session of the General Conference of Unesco. In fact, the campaign conducted with partners has enabled Haiti to be elected a member of UNESCO's International Coordinating Council of the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Program (CIC-MAB), with 116 votes out of 156. The election took place last Thursday at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. Note that the country will occupy this position until 2021. The election file has been conducted since June 2017 by the team of the Permanent Delegation of Haiti to UNESCO. It is now up to the Haitian State to appoint the representative of Haiti to this body.

The Man and the Biosphere Program is an intergovernmental scientific program aimed at establishing a scientific basis for improving relations between the inhabitants of the planet and their natural environment at the global level. Launched in the early 1970s, MAB materializes through biosphere reserves, ie protected areas, of geographically defined areas in which the activities aim or are in harmony with the protection of a conservation object (landscape, ecosystem, species, natural or historical monuments, local practices, etc...) There are 669 biosphere reserves in the world - 16 of which are cross-border - in 120 countries (2016). Haiti has two: the La Selle biosphere reserve (south-east of Haiti), the La Hotte biosphere reserve (south-west). In June 2017, La Selle Reserve was declared a transboundary reserve with the Jaragua-Bahoruco-Enriquillo Reserve of the Dominican Republic.

The main governing body of MAB, the International Coordinating Council of the MAB Program, usually called the MAB Council or the ICC is composed of 34 Member States elected by the biennial General Conference of UNESCO. This committee is called upon to ensure the proper functioning of the world network of biosphere reserves. At the level of Haiti, the files are conducted by the Haitian National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO with the ministries involved in the organization. Haiti was also elected member of UNESCO's Executive Board in 2015, during the 38th session.

Lert's recall that the Haitian delegation to the 39th session of the UNESCO General Conference was chaired by the holder of the MENFP, Mr. Pierre Josué Agénor Cadet, assisted by the Chargé d'Affaires ai of the Permanent Delegation of Haiti to UNESCO, Mr. James Samuel R. Jules.

S/ HaitiLibre