OAS TO HANDOVER VETTING PROGRAM TO CIVPOL

UNCLAS PORT AU PRINCE 001598 SIPDIS WHA/EX PLEASE PASS USOAS SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD DEPT FOR DS/IP/WHA DS/DSS/ITA DSERCC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL HA SUBJECT: OAS TO HANDOVER VETTING PROGRAM TO CIVPOL ¶1. (U) Summary: PolOff and Embassy Police Advisor met with OAS Ambassador Denneth Modeste on May 30 to discuss the vetting program for new Haitian National Police (HNP) recruits administered by the OAS and funded by the United States. The two agreed to phase out OAS administration of the program and to handover the vetting project to MINUSTAH and the HNP. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) The Police Advisor presented an exit strategy for the OAS to pass responsibility for the vetting program to MINUSTAH CIVPOL by December 2005 when U.S. funding ends. According to the strategy, post will seek an MOU with the OAS, the UN and the HNP to create a permanent program for vetting including permanent staff and offices. During the final six months of the OAS administered program, CIVPOL would appoint a shadow director who will work with the current program administrator, Guy Magny, while contracts for the other OAS vetting staff are phased out. Ambassador Modeste agreed to the strategy and said that all five current contracts for OAS vetting personnel will expire June 30. One contract will not be renewed (Richard Chevalier) and the other four will expire gradually over a period of six months, with all contracts finishing by December 31, 2005. ¶3. (SBU) Modeste said the OAS has tried previously to share responsibilities with CIVPOL but the results had been "disappointing." He also complained that IGOH/HNP support for the program was weak and that he wanted to use the next six months as an opportunity to convince both the HNP and CIVPOL of the reality that recruitment and quality control were part of their mandate. The Police Advisor agreed that the program had its flaws, primarily due to the complete lack of reporting and record-keeping in Haiti, but that it was vital to continue and improve the process, including computerizing the program and expanding the background checks. He said the U.S. had approved new money for FY05 specifically for background interviews of existing officers. ¶4. (SBU) Separately, CIVPOL has agreed to appoint a coordinator to work with the OAS team to manage the handover of the vetting program to CIVPOL by December 2005 (septel). FOLEY