The National Old-Age Insurance Office (ONA) announces the holding of the National Forum on the Modernization and Consolidation of the General Pension System in Haiti, to be held on September 16, 17, and 18, 2026, at the Karibe Convention Center.

For three days, this event will bring together national and international experts, social partners, representatives from the private sector, labor unions, and public institutions to address a major issue for the country's future : reflecting on the necessary transformations of the general pension system to better meet Haiti's economic, social, and demographic realities.

Faced with changes in the labor market, the significant presence of informal employment, income vulnerability, and the challenges related to demographic shifts, the ONA intends to foster a space for reflection, dialogue, and consultation on the conditions necessary for building a more inclusive, equitable, and financially sustainable pension system.

The discussions will also be enriched by experiences and lessons learned from several Latin American and Caribbean countries, with the aim of identifying best practices that can be adapted to Haiti’s economic, social, and institutional realities.

Discussions will focus in particular on expanding social security coverage, the gradual integration of informal sector workers, the financial sustainability of the system, improving the quality of services, modernizing management, and mechanisms to strengthen insured individuals’ confidence in the pension system.

According to Lovely François, Director General of the ONA “Retirement should not be viewed solely as a benefit to be guaranteed today. It represents a commitment of solidarity to present and future generations. Through this Forum, we want to foster a responsible, open, and constructive national dialogue, capable of generating concrete guidelines for gradually building a more modern, inclusive, equitable, and sustainable pension system, adapted to the realities of our country."

Following these three days of reflection and discussion, the ONA intends to contribute to the development of concrete guidelines and recommendations that can inform future discussions and decisions aimed at strengthening the general pension system and improving social protection for insured individuals.

HL/ HaitiLibre