A promising future for Haitian citizens
A Haiti with a functioning democracy. A Haiti where human rights are respected. A Haiti with a vibrant economy and a thriving agricultural sector. And a European Union which contributes in a meaningful way to achieving those goals.Who we are
The Coordination Europe-Haiti is a network of engaged European civil society organisations and platforms. We work closely with civil society organisations and movements in Haiti.
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Get informed about the latest events and news items about Haiti. Read the latest articles, news feeds and tweets from prominent news sources that report on haiti and its development.
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THE CoEH CALLS FOR AN END TO VIOLENCE AGAINST THE HAITIAN PEOPLE AND THE RESTITUTION BY FRANCE OF THE RANSOM HAITI PAID FOR ITS INDEPENDENCE
The members of CoEH condemn the systematic human rights violations committed by these gangs — especially the violence targeting women and girls — and deplore the failure of the current Haitian leadership to develop strategies to protect the population, meet basic needs, and govern the country effectively.
CoEH also calls on the European Union (EU)—whose member states also benefited, directly or indirectly, from the ransom imposed on Haiti, from slavery, and from colonialism in the Caribbean—to incorporate the issue of restitution and reparations into their work and to support Haiti in its quest for justice. We also urge the EU to strengthen and expand its collaboration to better control the international trafficking of weapons, ammunition, and drugs that is destabilizing Haiti.
THE GAPING WOUND OF A RANSOM THAT IS HARD TO HEAL
April 17, 1825 – April 17, 2025: Two centuries have passed since French King Charles X issued a decree demanding that Haiti pay France 150 million francs in exchange for recognizing its independence, which had been declared on January 1, 1804. This ransom was intended to compensate the former slave-owning colonists who had fled Saint-Domingue during the War of Independence. At the time this decree was delivered to the young nation, freshly freed from slavery, 14 French warships carrying 500 cannons were stationed off the coast of Haiti, ready to attack. Faced with this threat, Haiti’s then-president, Jean-Pierre Boyer, gave in to the extortion.
