From ILO Caribbean Office

Effective 1 January 2026, responsibility for Haiti will shift from the ILO Central America office in San Jose to the ILO Office for the Caribbean in Port of Spain as part of strategic realignment to enhance support for Haiti.

PORT OF SPAIN (ILO News) – As the International Labour Organization (ILO) Office for the Caribbean prepares to celebrate its 56th anniversary of service to the region, a significant new chapter is unfolding in its history. Effective 1 January 2026, responsibility for institutional coverage of Haiti will be officially transferred to the ILO Office for the Caribbean, based in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, from the ILO Office for Central America, Panama and the Dominican Republic, based in San Jose, Costa Rica. 

This strategic decision, taken by ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo, follows an extensive review of the Organization’s regional operational structures and aims to enhance ILO’s technical cooperation, responsiveness, and support to Haiti. The move underscores the Organization’s commitment to strengthening coordination, and deepening collaboration with tripartite partners- government, workers, and employers- for more dynamic results on the ground in Haiti.

“The transfer of Haiti’s institutional coverage reflects our commitment to strengthening the ILO’s response capacity and optimising our support in the Caribbean. It is an opportunity to build even stronger bridges of collaboration and ensure that our work for productive employment, decent work and social justice continues without interruption,” affirmed Ana Virginia Moreira Gomes, ILO Assistant Director-General and Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean

The Regional Director also assured constituents that the transition, which is currently in its initial phases, will be gradual, orderly, and fully coordinated. All existing commitments and ongoing initiatives in Haiti will proceed uninterrupted, while new opportunities for deeper regional collaboration are expected to emerge under the stewardship of the ILO Caribbean Office.

This development marks an important milestone in the ILO’s institutional evolution and in its longstanding relationship with Member States in the Caribbean. Since the establishment of the ILO Office for the Caribbean in 1969, the Office has worked alongside governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations to advance the Decent Work Agenda, promote social dialogue, and support inclusive growth across the region. The integration of Haiti into its portfolio further reinforces this mission and expands the scope of ILO’s Caribbean-wide cooperation.

Mr. Joni Musabayana, Director of the ILO Decent Work Team and Office for the Caribbean welcomed the official announcement of the strategic realignment, especially in the context of the ILO’s more intense engagement with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), a regional integration organization of which Haiti is a member. Noting the chorus of Caribbean and international voices that urged heightened support for Haiti at the recent 80th United Nations General Assembly, Musabayana reiterated the pledge that the Office will “continue working hand in hand with our Haitian partners to strengthen labour institutions, improve employment outcomes, and support the country’s progress towards social justice and sustainable development.”