Serving as Ambassador of Haiti to Italy and Permanent Representative to FAO, WFP and IFAD has revealed something profound: Italy is one of the world’s most strategic hubs for scientific diplomacy. Few countries bring together, with such coherence, global research centers, UN technical agencies, renowned universities, and innovation networks capable of transforming the development trajectory of small, vulnerable states.
In Rome, our engagement with FAO, WFP and IFAD places Haiti at the center of global food security governance. Here, scientific diplomacy means access to climate-resilient agricultural technologies, geospatial analysis, anticipatory action systems, and digital agriculture platforms that can directly strengthen rural livelihoods in Haiti.
But Italy’s scientific power extends far beyond Rome. In Trieste, institutions such as the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), SISSA, and the broader “Trieste System” make Italy a global capital of scientific excellence. These institutions offer Haiti opportunities to train young scientists, participate in international research networks, and engage in joint innovation—whether in biotechnology, climate modelling, ocean sciences, or renewable energy.
As a matter of fact, Italy itself has mastered the art of scientific diplomacy as soft power. By investing in world-class research centers and hosting the UN’s largest food-security hub, Italy advances global stability not through coercion, but through the quiet power of ideas, knowledge, and innovation. It is a soft power rooted in cooperation, in convening capacity, and in the belief that scientific progress can bridge divides where politics struggles.
For Haiti, this Italian model is both an inspiration and an opportunity. It demonstrates how a nation can project influence through knowledge, and how scientific partnerships can generate lasting diplomatic value.
In this context, my role as Ambassador becomes clear: to transform Italy’s scientific strengths into concrete partnerships for Haiti, to empower our institutions, and to ensure that Haitian expertise participates fully in global scientific ecosystems.
Ultimately, scientific diplomacy reminds the world that Haiti is more than a country in crisis. It is a nation capable of innovation, contribution, and leadership when given the tools and the partnerships to rise.
