Founded in 1979 and placed under the control of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour (MAST), the National Handicrafts Office (ONART) has undergone several guardianship including with ONAAC, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Its missions are clearly defined in the Organic Law of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour (MAST) of 1983.

M. Rony François, Director of the ONART recalls that these missions "are to provide artisans professional a preparation, technical and financial management. They also aim to encourage the rational structuring of the sector by bringing together producers and operators through associations, cooperatives and mutuals for better productivity [...] the ONART enters the era of modernity and innovation using the New Technologies of Information and Communication (NTIC) to collect and publish information on the Haitian Artisan sector while formulating programs of promotion and marketing both inside and outside the country in the context of matching supply and demand.

In this perspective, the new leadership intends to strengthen the missions of ONART to make it a powerful tool to promote job creation, socio-economic stability and the fight against poverty. Also, it intend to participate in the recovery of the Haitian economy by increasing productivity in the artisanal sector to improve the living conditions and production of craftsmen and operators of the sector.

[...] The legal and institutional framework of ONART will be revised in order to strengthen its capacity for a better strategic direction going in the direction of pillars which constitute the policy in term of development.

[...] These include the promotion and marketing of craft products both within and outside the country, strengthening the sector's productivity by appropriate technical and financial management, the increase of the level of qualification of men and women living in this profession through continuing education, the strengthening of institutional capacity of ONART.

These programs are being implemented. Structures provided in the organic law are being implemented through the 10 geographical departments. The redefinition and extension of the framework law are being studied using a participatory approach involving all stakeholders. The allocation of the Office in adequate equipment and materials and the conduct of a socio-economic study of the Haitian Crafts are being implemented. This study aims to establish aartisanal Geographic Map and to establish a National Centre for Information and Documentation on Haitian crafts.

[...] It becomes imperative for the MAST to facilitate access to credit for artisans, to strengthen production capacity through coherent and harmonious actions aimed to : make available to artisans, of premises (community workshops and stores) ; to structure some communities craft village (four are under consideration for the departments of North, East, West and South as pilot projects) ; to establish a national laboratory of design and National Centre for Development for artisans [will be inaugurated soon].

The expected results of these actions can be listed as follows: transformation of the workshops (300 for 2013-2014) in real small and medium enterprises (formal management), quality products and standardized, internationally competitive, stocks of finished products, improved working conditions and increased revenue."

HL/ HaitiLibre