On Wednesday, September 16, 2026, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor (MAST), through the National Old-Age Insurance Office (ONA), launched the National Forum on the Modernization and Consolidation of the General Pension System in Haiti. This three-day forum (September 16, 17, and 18, 2026) was placed under the banner of social justice and intergenerational solidarity.

The Forum aims to initiate an in-depth reflection on the future of the Haitian pension system and to identify concrete ways to strengthen its coverage, equity, governance, and financial sustainability.

The first day, themed "Understanding the ONA and Diagnosing the General ONA System" is dedicated to analyzing the current situation of the system, identifying its strengths, weaknesses, and the main challenges it faces.

The second day will focus on designing a modern, equitable, and financially sustainable pension system, emphasizing mechanisms for adapting social protection to the country's economic and professional realities.

Finally, the third day will be dedicated to expanding social protection and developing a roadmap for reform, with the aim of generating concrete recommendations and actions that can be implemented in the short, medium, and long term.

In his opening address, Marc-Elie Nelson, the Minister of Social Affairs and Labor, emphasized that the issue of pensions goes far beyond administrative and financial considerations. "We are not simply opening a Pensions Forum today. We are launching a project on social justice."

The Minister stressed the need to guarantee that those who have worked their entire lives enjoy a secure, respectful, and dignified old age.

In this context, the Minister emphasized the importance of gradually integrating informal sector workers into a social protection system better suited to the realities of the Haitian labor market.

"Informal workers are not invisible workers," he stated, noting that those who sell, farm, transport, build, repair, or produce also contribute to the nation’s wealth.

Modernizing the pension system will also require transforming the services offered to insured individuals. Simplifying procedures, digitizing services, protecting data, and bringing institutions closer to citizens were among the key issues highlighted during these meetings.

For the Minister, technology must first and foremost serve a social purpose: to tangibly improve the lives and living conditions of citizens. This modernization must also be accompanied by strengthened requirements for transparency, integrity, oversight, and accountability.

The goal is to develop a roadmap outlining the actions to be taken, responsibilities, deadlines, and mechanisms for monitoring results. As the Minister emphasized, "A reform without a timeline remains just an intention. A reform without those responsible remains just talk, and a reform without follow-up becomes a forgotten promise."

HL/ HaitiLibre