The Ministry of the Interior and Territorial Communities, together with the National Federation of Mayors of Haiti (FENAMH) and the University of Technology of Haiti (UNITECH), signed a MoU aimed at training local authorities and territorial staff in the field of land-use planning. The signing took place this week at the Ministry of the Interior headquarters, in the presence of, among others, Ms. Sharina Lochard, Secretary of State for Territorial Communities, Pierre Canisius Guignard, Director General of the institution, and the beneficiaries of this training.

Through this tripartite agreement, the studies of a group of ten professionals, comprised of local authorities, territorial staff, and managers from the Directorate of Territorial Communities of the Ministry of the Interior and Territorial Communities (MICT), will be funded for a Master's degree in Spatial Planning. This two-year program will culminate in an internationally recognized degree, thanks to a pre-established academic pathway between UNITECH and the University of Quebec at Chicoutimi (Canada).

This MoU addresses the need to fill the gap in local authorities' expertise in this specific area of ​​local development. Furthermore, it aims to ensure better implementation of public policies for planning the distribution of population and infrastructure across the entire territory. It will also enable the MICT to support the technical and administrative strengthening of local authorities and to have, in the medium and long term, technicians capable of effectively addressing land use and organization.

On this occasion, the Rector of UNITEC, Dr. Josselin Val, expressed his satisfaction with the commitment of all the signatory parties.

"Thanks to this agreement, local government employees will have access to tools enabling them to plan and organize the rational use of land and, moreover, to propose structured and adapted plans to improve the quality of life for the population and balance development," explained Dr. Val.

Fernandel Georges, representing the President of FENAMH at the event, indicated that the Federation is committed to being present at every stage of this partnership. He encouraged the various partners to promote model programs capable of equipping local authorities with reliable skills in specific areas that are useful for the harmonious development of local communities.

For his part, the Minister of the Interior, Paul Antoine Bien-Aimé, welcomed the high quality of this training program. He urged the selected candidates to fully commit to their training, so that they can ultimately contribute to reducing spatial inequalities, anticipating changes, and developing the territory in a way that promotes access to basic services and better living conditions for local populations.

HL/ HaitiLibre