During the third session of the United Nations (UN) Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, the Office of International Lawyers and the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti (IJDH) continued their efforts to restore the “independence debt”

As part of their advocacy, the BAI and its Haitian partners Movement of Freedom, Equality of Haitians for Fraternity (MOLEGHAF), Study and Action for Human Rights (EADH), Sant Karl Levêque (SKL) and Ensemble of Competent Citizens in Search of Equality of Human Rights in Haiti (ECCREDHH) submitted to the Forum an eight-point framework document to pursue the restitution to Haiti of the illegal [illegitimate] "independence debt" extorted by France.

From left to right: “Jacques Letang, Jocelyn McCalla, Michèle Voltaire Marcelin, Pascale Solages, Jennie-Laure Sully, Frantz André, Monique Clesca, Jemima Pierre, Eric Pierre, Michelle Austin Pamies, Yvens Rumbold, Dr Marie Lemy and Erik Crew

By submitting this Framework document, the BAI and its Haitian partners have requested the Forum's support not only for long-awaited monetary reparations. As BAI General Counsel Mario Joseph noted in his accompanying statement to the Forum, 'Haiti holds the key to reparations for all those harmed by slavery. But we Haitians need your help to reach the padlock."

Let's recall that France had demanded from Haiti as compensation and to recognize Haiti's independence the sum of 150 million gold francs, (reduced to 90 million in 1838) which was called the "debt of independence” would today represent the minimum equivalent of 28 billion dollars paid by Haiti…

HL/ S/ HaitiLibre