Washington -- The Organization of American States (OAS) has passed a resolution condemning recent violence in Haiti stemming from the December 17 attack on the presidential palace in the nation's capital of Port-au-Prince.

The resolution, passed January 15 by the OAS Permanent Council (made up of the 34 democratic countries of the Americas, including the United States), called for a full and independent investigation of the attack and the violence against opposition parties and leaders that followed. The resolution called for the prosecution of any person found to be complicit in the violence and for reparations for those who suffered damages as a result.

In addition, the OAS established a new permanent mission that will work in Haiti to help resolve the country's crisis. The organization also asked the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to visit the country, consult with all sectors of society, and report on current human rights conditions, including events related to December 17.

The resolution said the Haitian government has expressed its willingness to cooperate with the international community to end the crisis. The resolution also called for the OAS mission to work "in the spirit of the OAS Charter and the Inter-American Democratic Charter." That latter charter, adopted in September 2001 in Lima, Peru, spells out basic democratic principles and a framework for action when democracy is perceived to be at risk in OAS-member countries.

OAS Secretary General Cesar Gaviria told the Permanent Council that the recent violence in Haiti had set back efforts to resolve the political impasse in Haiti resulting from disputed May 2000 legislative elections. He said he hoped this new mandate would ultimately allow the political negotiations to get back on track.

(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)