Statement by Minister Celso Amorim during the International Donors’ Conference Toward a New Future for Haiti - New York, March 31, 2010
Source: Government of Brazil
Date: 31 Mar 2010
President René Préval,
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon,
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,
Former President Bill Clinton,
Brazil co-chairs this Donors' Conference with the conviction we are gathered here to make sure that the Haitian people find the path of sustainable development. This process has to be undertaken under the guidance of the Haitian government, with the support of the international community.
Brazil is confident that Haiti is capable of overcoming the present challenges and of taking full ownership of its destiny. I congratulate the Haitian Government for submitting its Action Plan. This will allow us to channel our support effectively, in accordance with its national priorities.
Two and a half months ago, on that terrible January 12, all of us watched the painful scenes of destruction and human suffering. This sense of shock may have slightly faded in the media since January. It is our duty to prove that the international community does not forget that tragedy, and that its commitment to translate solidarity into action remains alive. Maybe the 12th of January could be declared the universal date of solidarity.
The emergency phase is not over yet. As we speak, one million Haitians are homeless, living under improvised shelters. Hundreds of thousands are terrified by the threat of the approaching rainy season. Parents do not send their children to schools for fear of their security.
But our main goal today must be to assist Haitians in setting the conditions for a sustained long term development. These must ensure social justice, political stability and the full realization of human rights.
I come here today with the full backing not only of my Government, but also of Brazilian society. I can hardly remember a time when Brazilians felt such a strong sympathy towards another country and expressed this feeling so generously and effectively.
President Lula visited Haiti last month. I myself went to Haiti just ten days after the earthquake. Many Brazilian ministers and other authorities have been to Haiti, most recently the Minister of Health.
Brazil's commitment to Haiti is neither new nor circumstantial. Since January 12, Brazil has pledged and disbursed US$ 167 million in short-term humanitarian assistance. The Brazilian Air Force has operated over 130 humanitarian flights between Haiti and Brazil, which carried over 1,000 tons of humanitarian aid, including a full military campaign hospital.
I am now honored to announce that Brazil is pledging an additional amount of US$ 172 million for the long-term recovery and reconstruction of Haiti. This sum includes US$ 94.5 million for health. It also includes US$ 40 million under the Brazil-UNASUL program destined for infrastructure projects. It also includes a grant of US$ 15 million in direct budget support for the Haitian Government. This is fully consistent with our view that the Government of Haiti must be the leader of the reconstruction process.
Our challenge today is to ensure that support by the international community be sustainable and directed to long-term results. In this context, I would like to reiterate our proposal that all countries that are members of the WTO – and maybe even those that are not members of the WTO – offer duty-free, quota-free access to Haitian goods, with preferential rules of origin for a period long enough to allow for investments and sustained growth. This is a test case for the international community to show its willingness and capacity to come together in favor of a just and undisputed cause. Helping Haiti is beyond any ideological, religious or political struggle.
This is really a historical occasion. We have the opportunity to pay respect to what the Haitians' struggle symbolizes: their pioneering fight for independence and the elimination of slavery in our continent. The Haitian Revolution was a major event in modern History. For the first time, African expatriates in the Americas reclaimed the promises of freedom, liberty and equality. Let us help the brave people of Haiti make these promises true.
Thank you
Showing posts with label Donors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Donors. Show all posts
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Haitian Diaspora Forum at OAS - Final Recommendations on an Strategic Plan for Haiti
HAITIAN DIASPORA FORUM:
CONTRIBUTING TO A STRATEGIC PLAN FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT IN HAITI
March 21-23, 2010
CONSOLIDATED RECOMMENDATIONS
The Haitian Diaspora wishes to thank the Organization of American States (OAS) for convening some 400 representatives from the Haitian Diaspora in its headquarters in Washington, DC, from March 21-23, 2010, to submit recommendations to the Government of Haiti and donors ahead of the discussion to be held on March 31st, 2010 at the United Nations in New York, as part of its contribution into the elaboration of a strategic plan for the reconstruction and development of its homeland. Following are the recommendations that emanated from the two-day discussions:
URGENT HUMANITARIAN NEEDS AND EFFECTIVE DEPLOYMENT OF FOREIGN AID
The Diaspora would like to urge the GOH to:
R1. Collaborate with the international community to ensure that food distribution systems and shelter arrangements take into account social and cultural factors and respect the dignity of people (e.g. establish distribution schedules and community kitchens; keep lines short at distribution points; target vulnerable beneficiaries for special distribution channels including home delivery; uphold regional equity by extending distribution to areas that have welcomed the displaced population; etc.).
R2. Transform the idle time at the camps into educational opportunities and provide various trainings, including civic education for children, young adolescents and adults. At the same time, strengthen the educational infrastructure outside of Port-au-Prince including at pre-school, primary, secondary, adult, vocational, and higher educational levels. Emphasize teacher training throughout the country.
R3. Seek the coordination of distribution efforts with all stakeholders, including local governments, international aid agencies, hometown associations and community groups in Haiti and abroad. Additionally, increase transparency and accountability by requiring aid agencies to publicize a detailed accounting of funds expended in Haiti.
R4. Given the fast-approaching rainy and hurricane season, seek the collaboration of aid agencies and local Haitian organizations to identify and prepare areas outside of Port-au-Prince that are less susceptible to natural disasters. Build seismic and cyclonic resistant temporary housing, such as modular housing and prefabricated homes. In the design of long-term housing and shelter plans, adopt and enforce seismic and cyclonic resistant building codes.
R5. Increase the effectiveness of humanitarian aid by empowering aid recipients through the extension of work-for-food and cash-for-work programs within the camps and throughout the critical areas, with a focus on the youth and women. Collaborate with aid agencies to assess periodically the humanitarian needs and the effectiveness of aid distribution within and outside of Port-au-Prince, including through feedback from beneficiaries.
ENSURING A DYNAMIC AND TRANSPARENT RECONSTRUCTION PROCESS
R6. Increase accountability through greater transparency and oversight of all reconstruction funds (public or private) with the creation of an Inspector General Office. Such Office shall be required to conduct audits and investigations to prevent fraud, waste and abuse, and shall report its findings publicly.
R7. Make best efforts to ensure that firms that are contracted in Haiti hire Haitian workers and contractors as a priority, including from the Diaspora, as a means to alleviate poverty, enable job training and creation, reverse the brain drain by expanding human capital that will, in turn, attract foreign investment.
R8. Recognize the importance of the Diaspora in the Haitian economy and, referencing the Plan d’Action pour le Relèvement et le Développement National (March 2010), yield to the Diaspora’s strong request for a full voting seat in la Commission Intérimaire pour la Reconstruction d’Haïti.
R9. Create a Civil Service Corps with the participation of Haitian nationals and the Diaspora, particularly women, to assist in the building process. Donors are encouraged to review their personnel’s legal framework with the view of facilitating the transfer or detail of Creole-speaking employees to work on loan in Haiti.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
The Diaspora urges the GOH to:
R10. Set an ambitious but concrete and quantifiable goal for the short and medium run, particularly in terms of GDP growth (6% per year or more) and reduction of poverty.
R11. Work with donors to formally engage the Diaspora in the implementation and follow up of measures and recommendations for recovery and reconstruction. As such, create a platform for exchanging information and ensuring that (i) the Diaspora is updated on business opportunities as well as other developments and (ii) at the same time that the GOH is aware of resources available in the Diaspora (financial and human).
R12. Publicize eligibility and selection criteria for donor-funded projects and ensure greater participation of Haitian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and Diaspora investors. Moreover, create streamlined/expedited processes for business formation and license applications including a single point of entry for business proposals where investors can get responses from relevant authorities on firm timetables.
R13. Recognize dual nationality. Although the Diaspora understands that there are no legal impediments to investments, dual nationality will create greater inclusion and incentive.
R14. Increase accountability, transparency and oversight of all funds with detailed reporting through a public information system and a reformed/strengthened judicial system.
R15. Have an updated and publicly available inventory of all NGOs operating in the national territory and a mapping of their activities and their sources of funding.
R16. Promote green (solar, wind, ocean thermal and geothermal) and/or locally produced energy to achieve energy independence and security. Reduce electricity theft through wireless usage meter. Provide training opportunities to sustain a workforce prepared to install and maintain alternative energy solutions.
R17. Prioritize projects based on their contribution to decentralization, deconcentration, and the participation of women.
R18. Strengthen the role of the Investment Facilitation Center (Centre de Facilitation des Investments -CFI) and institute self-contained, automated regional branches to facilitate the establishment of corporations and investments directly outside the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area. Also, amplify the database within CFI of potential partners by sector.
R19. Create a mechanism to promote Haiti as a tourism destination even in the short term and to address all aspects of tourism security. Provide training opportunities to sustain a workforce prepared to install and maintain a thriving hospitality industry.
R20. Have a subaccount for the apparel industry within the framework of the Guarantee Fund which is currently being created. Moreover, create a mechanism to make credit readily available for the productive activities, particularly in the agricultural sector.
R21. Increase productivity by strengthening vocational training and targeting skills demanded by the market, while promoting the employment of women. This would include an assessment of available skills and needs by sector.
R22. Encourage innovation through the strengthening of intellectual property rights.
R23. Transform the rural landscape by promoting local farming to better compete with agricultural imports, by aggressively pursuing food security and promoting agro-exports and agro-industry (including vertical integration). Specifically, promote rural units of integrated production including aquaculture, livestock, light manufacturing, services, etc.
R24. Identify each region’s comparative advantage and invest accordingly. Provide for appropriate financing of development activities, particularly through the widening of the tax base.
STRENGTHENING GOVERNANCE
R25. Combat impunity and review immunity provisions in order to prosecute to the full extent of the law officials who have been perceived to abuse their privileges.
R26. Use the expertise of the Diaspora to continue the process of reforming the Constitution, including those provisions related to granting Dual Nationality to members of the Diaspora and facilitate enactment of new measures and legislations at the Executive and Parliamentary levels that will integrate the Haitian Diaspora in Haiti's society.
R27. Implement provisions of the Constitution with regards to decentralization.
R28. Adopt a realistic decision on the scheduling of the elections taking into consideration the special circumstances as a result of the earthquake. Collaborate with international partners and Diaspora organizations to put in place a mechanism to encourage greater participation of the Diaspora as electoral observers in all upcoming elections.
R29. Pursue the transfer of knowledge and expertise to help strengthen capacity through effective mechanisms such as (i) twinning/exchange programs with Diaspora professionals and through online communities and (ii) partnerships with academic centers for the training of civil servants.
R30. Establish an independent judiciary and accelerate the reform of Haiti’s criminal laws and procedures, including the correctional system, and increase the number of judges, prosecutors, police and corrections officers, and other court personnel.
R31. Reform the country’s justice system, and strengthen the capacity of its Ministries, including the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, to support national government institutions operating in local communities, and to develop and train a core of middle managers to assume leadership roles within their organizations.
R32. Strengthen the capacity of the country to react to catastrophes and manage natural disasters through the implementation of a national emergency action plan. Particularly, implement strict building codes.
R33. Reinforce La Direction de la Protection Civile through formal training of public servants at all levels in disaster-related fields. At the same time, implement programs for disaster preparedness and simulation exercises. For example, implement a web-enabled crisis information management system to provide realtime information sharing to improve the response to disasters.
R34. Adopt the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Inter country Adoption (Hague Adoption Convention), which aims to prevent the abduction, sale or traffic of children, and prioritize the adoption of children by Haitian families in Haiti and the Diaspora. Further, work with identified partners to develop culturally congruent education and training for those wishing to care for Haitian children in order to minimize additional trauma and maximize adaptive outcomes consistent with Haitian culture and values.
R35. Support family preservation to prevent child abandonment, by offering support services to families and/or extended families to care for their own children. Moreover, phase out the orphanage system through the re-integration of children into family/extended family like settings (i.e. foster care models).
R36. Create a central database of all children in out-of-family placement, where progress and services are recorded and tracked ---modeled after best practices.
R37. Implement quality Universal Education For All (EFA) that assures equitable access to all children, including over-aged students and students with disabilities, that offers health and sports program, and civic education, that supplies second-chance education (drop-outs and youths) as well as youth mentoring and adult literacy programs, and that provides free meals (breakfast and lunch), free transportation, potable water, uniforms, and school supplies. Such education will have to be provided in schools built on the basis of safe building codes and fitted with all modern sanitation and hygiene facilities.
R38. Strengthen the certification process of teachers and administrators, and implement (i) appropriate training structures to ensure their ongoing professional development and (ii) a mentoring and exchange program between Haiti and Diaspora teachers. Similarly, implement a program of adoption of Haiti schools and students by Diaspora schools and students. Such partnership should occur also at the higher learning level, and extended through collaboration with foreign universities. Moreover, provide incentives to teachers and administrators through decent wages and reasonable benefit packages.
R39. Design school programs that utilize results-based criteria and reflect national standards. Such programs should be culturally relevant (use of Creole), promote differentiated curricula (by age and ability level), foster STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) programs, uphold technologically friendly tools and conduits (distance learning, media, internet, etc.), and support post-secondary internships for workforce readiness, as well as school readiness programming through a community approach that leads to higher education and vocational training.
R40. Address the needs of all vulnerable groups (special education, orphans/unaccompanied minors, restavek/children in domesticity, exploited children, disabled youths, etc.). Further, implement psychosocial support services.
R41. Conduct a Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) with a direct focus on women and from a gender perspective, in order to identify specific challenges and good practices. On the basis of this Gender PDNA, allocate an equitable percentage of funding for meeting these documented needs.
R42. Encourage the Haitian government, civil society and the Diaspora to take gender issues into consideration in the conception, formulation and implementation of policies, structures and programs (affirmative action), and work with the media to support positive reinforcement of the status of women.
R43. Reinforce security in temporary shelters, food distribution centers and other environments for women and children by increasing the presence of women among security personnel, including both local and foreign troops. In particular, security personnel should be trained to recognize and gender-based violence.
R44. Adopt and implement a zero tolerance policy towards violence against women and children and implement the necessary measures to make this policy operational, including detention and prosecution of alleged offenders, stricter punishment relating to sexual offences against women and girls and the protection of victims and witnesses.
R45. Allow Haitian women, more particularly Haitian women living in rural communities, fair consideration and access to funding (in particular micro-credit), which will permit them to purchase land, supplies and
equipment that will strengthen their role in agriculture.
R46. Increase Haiti’s medical and health care capacities to meet the actual and future needs of the population
through a medical assistance program with the Haitian Diaspora where Haitians from abroad will provide their services for two weeks at time on a year round basis.
R47. Foster a partnership between Diaspora and local health care professionals to provide intense and modern technology training. Particularly, offer clinical mentorship programs to build technical and practical capacity for the numerous medical students who are no longer in school.
R48. Partner with universities as well as public and private hospitals to achieve uninterrupted medical service through clinical education. Further, maintain a medical residency and fellowship, focusing on diseases that are endemic to Haiti and the Caribbean (use of current technologies where continued training and support of Haitian doctors and nurses can be done through teleconferencing).
R49. Create a “mini-fellowship” fund in infectious diseases for local doctors and nurses.
R50. Strengthen family planning, women’s reproductive health and child health organizations, health centers in conjunction with the GOH. Special attention must be given to pregnant women living in precarious conditions in temporary shelters.
R51. Create mental health clinics to address the various post-earthquake traumas to provide therapy, especially to children and other vulnerable groups. Social workers from the Diaspora can be key in addressing this issue while understanding how culturally sensitive this is.
R52. Create therapy centers for the rehabilitation of thousands of amputees and for their reintegration in society.
R53. Urge donor countries to create a program to sponsor a certain number of students (a number to be agreed upon) per accredited medical schools per year during the period of reconstruction.
Recommendations - Haitian Diaspora Forum - Expanded
OAS Web Site >
CONTRIBUTING TO A STRATEGIC PLAN FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT IN HAITI
March 21-23, 2010
CONSOLIDATED RECOMMENDATIONS
[DOWNLOAD THE EXTENDED DOCUMENT BELOW]
(OtherStreams Comments: For far, the best positive, proactive, and propositive approach with an actual vision of FUTURE for Haiti, seconded only by the GOH's 'Haïti Demain" Territorial Plan and by H. E. The Culture Minister's vision of future)
The Haitian Diaspora wishes to thank the Organization of American States (OAS) for convening some 400 representatives from the Haitian Diaspora in its headquarters in Washington, DC, from March 21-23, 2010, to submit recommendations to the Government of Haiti and donors ahead of the discussion to be held on March 31st, 2010 at the United Nations in New York, as part of its contribution into the elaboration of a strategic plan for the reconstruction and development of its homeland. Following are the recommendations that emanated from the two-day discussions:
URGENT HUMANITARIAN NEEDS AND EFFECTIVE DEPLOYMENT OF FOREIGN AID
The Diaspora acknowledges and supports efforts by the Government of Haiti (GOH) and the private sector to address the post-earthquake urgencies. It welcomes their insistence to the international community that, in purchasing food aid, preference be given to local producers and national suppliers in order to avoid the contraction of domestic production. It also welcomes efforts initiated with the help of the international community to assess the structural integrity of existing homes, and to implement cash for work programs.
The Diaspora would like to urge the GOH to:
R1. Collaborate with the international community to ensure that food distribution systems and shelter arrangements take into account social and cultural factors and respect the dignity of people (e.g. establish distribution schedules and community kitchens; keep lines short at distribution points; target vulnerable beneficiaries for special distribution channels including home delivery; uphold regional equity by extending distribution to areas that have welcomed the displaced population; etc.).
R2. Transform the idle time at the camps into educational opportunities and provide various trainings, including civic education for children, young adolescents and adults. At the same time, strengthen the educational infrastructure outside of Port-au-Prince including at pre-school, primary, secondary, adult, vocational, and higher educational levels. Emphasize teacher training throughout the country.
R3. Seek the coordination of distribution efforts with all stakeholders, including local governments, international aid agencies, hometown associations and community groups in Haiti and abroad. Additionally, increase transparency and accountability by requiring aid agencies to publicize a detailed accounting of funds expended in Haiti.
R4. Given the fast-approaching rainy and hurricane season, seek the collaboration of aid agencies and local Haitian organizations to identify and prepare areas outside of Port-au-Prince that are less susceptible to natural disasters. Build seismic and cyclonic resistant temporary housing, such as modular housing and prefabricated homes. In the design of long-term housing and shelter plans, adopt and enforce seismic and cyclonic resistant building codes.
R5. Increase the effectiveness of humanitarian aid by empowering aid recipients through the extension of work-for-food and cash-for-work programs within the camps and throughout the critical areas, with a focus on the youth and women. Collaborate with aid agencies to assess periodically the humanitarian needs and the effectiveness of aid distribution within and outside of Port-au-Prince, including through feedback from beneficiaries.
ENSURING A DYNAMIC AND TRANSPARENT RECONSTRUCTION PROCESS
R6. Increase accountability through greater transparency and oversight of all reconstruction funds (public or private) with the creation of an Inspector General Office. Such Office shall be required to conduct audits and investigations to prevent fraud, waste and abuse, and shall report its findings publicly.
R7. Make best efforts to ensure that firms that are contracted in Haiti hire Haitian workers and contractors as a priority, including from the Diaspora, as a means to alleviate poverty, enable job training and creation, reverse the brain drain by expanding human capital that will, in turn, attract foreign investment.
R8. Recognize the importance of the Diaspora in the Haitian economy and, referencing the Plan d’Action pour le Relèvement et le Développement National (March 2010), yield to the Diaspora’s strong request for a full voting seat in la Commission Intérimaire pour la Reconstruction d’Haïti.
R9. Create a Civil Service Corps with the participation of Haitian nationals and the Diaspora, particularly women, to assist in the building process. Donors are encouraged to review their personnel’s legal framework with the view of facilitating the transfer or detail of Creole-speaking employees to work on loan in Haiti.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
The Diaspora stands ready to play its part in the development of private capital vehicles for investing in Haiti such as social venture capital funds, and to bring to bear its multifaceted expertise in capital markets, technology, engineering, green energy, etc. The proposals of the Diaspora for a sustainable development are articulated around two themes: (i) greater involvement of the Diaspora and (ii) sector specific recommendations.
The Diaspora urges the GOH to:
R10. Set an ambitious but concrete and quantifiable goal for the short and medium run, particularly in terms of GDP growth (6% per year or more) and reduction of poverty.
R11. Work with donors to formally engage the Diaspora in the implementation and follow up of measures and recommendations for recovery and reconstruction. As such, create a platform for exchanging information and ensuring that (i) the Diaspora is updated on business opportunities as well as other developments and (ii) at the same time that the GOH is aware of resources available in the Diaspora (financial and human).
R12. Publicize eligibility and selection criteria for donor-funded projects and ensure greater participation of Haitian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and Diaspora investors. Moreover, create streamlined/expedited processes for business formation and license applications including a single point of entry for business proposals where investors can get responses from relevant authorities on firm timetables.
R13. Recognize dual nationality. Although the Diaspora understands that there are no legal impediments to investments, dual nationality will create greater inclusion and incentive.
R14. Increase accountability, transparency and oversight of all funds with detailed reporting through a public information system and a reformed/strengthened judicial system.
R15. Have an updated and publicly available inventory of all NGOs operating in the national territory and a mapping of their activities and their sources of funding.
R16. Promote green (solar, wind, ocean thermal and geothermal) and/or locally produced energy to achieve energy independence and security. Reduce electricity theft through wireless usage meter. Provide training opportunities to sustain a workforce prepared to install and maintain alternative energy solutions.
R17. Prioritize projects based on their contribution to decentralization, deconcentration, and the participation of women.
R18. Strengthen the role of the Investment Facilitation Center (Centre de Facilitation des Investments -CFI) and institute self-contained, automated regional branches to facilitate the establishment of corporations and investments directly outside the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area. Also, amplify the database within CFI of potential partners by sector.
R19. Create a mechanism to promote Haiti as a tourism destination even in the short term and to address all aspects of tourism security. Provide training opportunities to sustain a workforce prepared to install and maintain a thriving hospitality industry.
R20. Have a subaccount for the apparel industry within the framework of the Guarantee Fund which is currently being created. Moreover, create a mechanism to make credit readily available for the productive activities, particularly in the agricultural sector.
R21. Increase productivity by strengthening vocational training and targeting skills demanded by the market, while promoting the employment of women. This would include an assessment of available skills and needs by sector.
R22. Encourage innovation through the strengthening of intellectual property rights.
R23. Transform the rural landscape by promoting local farming to better compete with agricultural imports, by aggressively pursuing food security and promoting agro-exports and agro-industry (including vertical integration). Specifically, promote rural units of integrated production including aquaculture, livestock, light manufacturing, services, etc.
R24. Identify each region’s comparative advantage and invest accordingly. Provide for appropriate financing of development activities, particularly through the widening of the tax base.
STRENGTHENING GOVERNANCE
The Diaspora views institutional rebuilding and the consolidation of democratic governance as imperative. It believes that social justice, the rule of law, the respect of civil liberties and the protection of private property are key to creating an environment conducive to economic growth and development.
Thus, it encourages the GOH to:
R25. Combat impunity and review immunity provisions in order to prosecute to the full extent of the law officials who have been perceived to abuse their privileges.
R26. Use the expertise of the Diaspora to continue the process of reforming the Constitution, including those provisions related to granting Dual Nationality to members of the Diaspora and facilitate enactment of new measures and legislations at the Executive and Parliamentary levels that will integrate the Haitian Diaspora in Haiti's society.
R27. Implement provisions of the Constitution with regards to decentralization.
R28. Adopt a realistic decision on the scheduling of the elections taking into consideration the special circumstances as a result of the earthquake. Collaborate with international partners and Diaspora organizations to put in place a mechanism to encourage greater participation of the Diaspora as electoral observers in all upcoming elections.
R29. Pursue the transfer of knowledge and expertise to help strengthen capacity through effective mechanisms such as (i) twinning/exchange programs with Diaspora professionals and through online communities and (ii) partnerships with academic centers for the training of civil servants.
R30. Establish an independent judiciary and accelerate the reform of Haiti’s criminal laws and procedures, including the correctional system, and increase the number of judges, prosecutors, police and corrections officers, and other court personnel.
R31. Reform the country’s justice system, and strengthen the capacity of its Ministries, including the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, to support national government institutions operating in local communities, and to develop and train a core of middle managers to assume leadership roles within their organizations.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, NATURAL DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND MITIGATION
The Diaspora believes that natural disaster management should be a long-term priority of the State. If Haiti cannot control the likelihood of natural disasters, it must manage the ensuing vulnerability and risks.
Hence, the GOH should:
R32. Strengthen the capacity of the country to react to catastrophes and manage natural disasters through the implementation of a national emergency action plan. Particularly, implement strict building codes.
R33. Reinforce La Direction de la Protection Civile through formal training of public servants at all levels in disaster-related fields. At the same time, implement programs for disaster preparedness and simulation exercises. For example, implement a web-enabled crisis information management system to provide realtime information sharing to improve the response to disasters.
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
C h i l d W e l f a r e
The Diaspora believes that laws and regulations that govern child abandonment, foster care, kinship care, domestic and inter-country adoption need to be modernized. Diaspora professional social workers and specialists in child welfare models as well as legal experts stand ready to consult and partner with the Ministry of Social Affairs, particularly l’Institut du Bien-Être Social et de Recherché (Institute for Social Welfare and Research), to provide training and technical support. NGOs working with children should be required to register with the Ministry prior to having access to children, and then be monitored by a set of guidelines.
The Diaspora makes the following recommendations for short-term improvements and long-term sustainability:
R34. Adopt the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Inter country Adoption (Hague Adoption Convention), which aims to prevent the abduction, sale or traffic of children, and prioritize the adoption of children by Haitian families in Haiti and the Diaspora. Further, work with identified partners to develop culturally congruent education and training for those wishing to care for Haitian children in order to minimize additional trauma and maximize adaptive outcomes consistent with Haitian culture and values.
R35. Support family preservation to prevent child abandonment, by offering support services to families and/or extended families to care for their own children. Moreover, phase out the orphanage system through the re-integration of children into family/extended family like settings (i.e. foster care models).
R36. Create a central database of all children in out-of-family placement, where progress and services are recorded and tracked ---modeled after best practices.
E d u c a t i o n
Members of the Diaspora who are in academia wish to collaborate with the government and the private sector to offer their services in implementing the following recommendations:
R37. Implement quality Universal Education For All (EFA) that assures equitable access to all children, including over-aged students and students with disabilities, that offers health and sports program, and civic education, that supplies second-chance education (drop-outs and youths) as well as youth mentoring and adult literacy programs, and that provides free meals (breakfast and lunch), free transportation, potable water, uniforms, and school supplies. Such education will have to be provided in schools built on the basis of safe building codes and fitted with all modern sanitation and hygiene facilities.
R38. Strengthen the certification process of teachers and administrators, and implement (i) appropriate training structures to ensure their ongoing professional development and (ii) a mentoring and exchange program between Haiti and Diaspora teachers. Similarly, implement a program of adoption of Haiti schools and students by Diaspora schools and students. Such partnership should occur also at the higher learning level, and extended through collaboration with foreign universities. Moreover, provide incentives to teachers and administrators through decent wages and reasonable benefit packages.
R39. Design school programs that utilize results-based criteria and reflect national standards. Such programs should be culturally relevant (use of Creole), promote differentiated curricula (by age and ability level), foster STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) programs, uphold technologically friendly tools and conduits (distance learning, media, internet, etc.), and support post-secondary internships for workforce readiness, as well as school readiness programming through a community approach that leads to higher education and vocational training.
R40. Address the needs of all vulnerable groups (special education, orphans/unaccompanied minors, restavek/children in domesticity, exploited children, disabled youths, etc.). Further, implement psychosocial support services.
W o m e n
Haitian women are facing specific challenges as the impact of the devastating earthquake meets the limitations of their gendered social roles. The disaster has further weakened their ability to perform their already overwhelming tasks as mother, wife, caregiver, educator, financial provider, entrepreneur and activist.
International aid and assistance, as well as the involvement of Haitian women living abroad, will be a significant determinant of recovery and growth, dignity, equal opportunity and the overall development of Haitian women during this recovery and reconstruction phase.
R41. Conduct a Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) with a direct focus on women and from a gender perspective, in order to identify specific challenges and good practices. On the basis of this Gender PDNA, allocate an equitable percentage of funding for meeting these documented needs.
R42. Encourage the Haitian government, civil society and the Diaspora to take gender issues into consideration in the conception, formulation and implementation of policies, structures and programs (affirmative action), and work with the media to support positive reinforcement of the status of women.
R43. Reinforce security in temporary shelters, food distribution centers and other environments for women and children by increasing the presence of women among security personnel, including both local and foreign troops. In particular, security personnel should be trained to recognize and gender-based violence.
R44. Adopt and implement a zero tolerance policy towards violence against women and children and implement the necessary measures to make this policy operational, including detention and prosecution of alleged offenders, stricter punishment relating to sexual offences against women and girls and the protection of victims and witnesses.
R45. Allow Haitian women, more particularly Haitian women living in rural communities, fair consideration and access to funding (in particular micro-credit), which will permit them to purchase land, supplies and
equipment that will strengthen their role in agriculture.
H e a l t h D e v e l o p m e n t
The need for medical attention and care has nearly tripled as a result of the seism; and the doubling of medical infrastructure and services is indispensable to avoid a major health care crisis.
As a result, the Haitian government needs to:
R46. Increase Haiti’s medical and health care capacities to meet the actual and future needs of the population
through a medical assistance program with the Haitian Diaspora where Haitians from abroad will provide their services for two weeks at time on a year round basis.
R47. Foster a partnership between Diaspora and local health care professionals to provide intense and modern technology training. Particularly, offer clinical mentorship programs to build technical and practical capacity for the numerous medical students who are no longer in school.
R48. Partner with universities as well as public and private hospitals to achieve uninterrupted medical service through clinical education. Further, maintain a medical residency and fellowship, focusing on diseases that are endemic to Haiti and the Caribbean (use of current technologies where continued training and support of Haitian doctors and nurses can be done through teleconferencing).
R49. Create a “mini-fellowship” fund in infectious diseases for local doctors and nurses.
R50. Strengthen family planning, women’s reproductive health and child health organizations, health centers in conjunction with the GOH. Special attention must be given to pregnant women living in precarious conditions in temporary shelters.
R51. Create mental health clinics to address the various post-earthquake traumas to provide therapy, especially to children and other vulnerable groups. Social workers from the Diaspora can be key in addressing this issue while understanding how culturally sensitive this is.
R52. Create therapy centers for the rehabilitation of thousands of amputees and for their reintegration in society.
R53. Urge donor countries to create a program to sponsor a certain number of students (a number to be agreed upon) per accredited medical schools per year during the period of reconstruction.
Recommendations - Haitian Diaspora Forum - Expanded
OAS Web Site >
Haitian Led Reconstruction & Development
A compilation of recommendation documents from several Haitian civil society and diaspora conferences, organizations and coalitions.
March 29, 2010
EXCERPT/SUMMARY
(full document below)
Below are common strategy points as well as process guidelines that are raised in multiple documents, both for immediate relief efforts and long-term reconstruction and development efforts:
SHORT-TERM RECOVERY
LONG-TERM RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT
PROCESS
This compilation was prepared by a Washington, D.C. based ad-hoc Haiti advocacy coalition (contributing members listed inside). Views expressed in the documents included are not endorsed by and do not necessarily reflect the positions of the coalition that prepared this document.
March 29, 2010
EXCERPT/SUMMARY
(full document below)
Below are common strategy points as well as process guidelines that are raised in multiple documents, both for immediate relief efforts and long-term reconstruction and development efforts:
SHORT-TERM RECOVERY
- Provide locally or regionally produced emergency food aid with coordinated and equitable distribution
in both urban and rural areas of need. - Preparation for the imminent planting season by the procurement and purchase of tools and culturally
appropriate seeds, as well as by providing agricultural training for displaced persons. - Support for shelter and temporary housing for internally displaced people, including adequate food,
clean water, appropriate shelter for the rain season, medical services and psycho-social support. - Protection of human rights of especially vulnerable populations, such as women, children, displaced persons and people with disabilities, including security strategies to prevent gender based violence, documentation of human rights abuses, and provision of universal, non-discriminatory access to support and resources.
LONG-TERM RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT
- Support for agricultural infrastructure and development including investments in: seeds and tools; reforestation; water cisterns, new wells, and irrigation systems; soil conservation; and animal husbandry to repopulate the Creole pig.
- Promotion of policies that foster food sovereignty that include land reform, financial support for small farmers, rural investment, and regulation of food markets to protect the local economy.
- Leadership training, capacity building, and support for civil society groups conducted in a way that promotes participation within local, national and international government structures, as well as the ability of Haiti to break its dependency on international aid.
- Strengthening and investment in formal and informal education systems to build national literacy, job creation and universal access in both urban and rural areas.
PROCESS
- Strengthened civil society participation in the design, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of all immediate and long-term reconstruction and development initiatives, both by the Haitian government and international actors. This necessitates sensitivity to language barriers and includes participation in the upcoming March 31 donor’s meeting.
- Promotion of transparency and accountability among the Haitian government, NGOs and international donors that is fostered by a robust and active civil society with access to information in locally accessible languages.
- Decentralization of infrastructure and resources in the long-neglected rural areas, including health, agriculture, education, water, sanitation, communications, power, housing, justice and social services.
- Coordination with local, regional, international actors at all levels for reconstruction efforts, which includes aid distribution and repair of infrastructure.
This compilation was prepared by a Washington, D.C. based ad-hoc Haiti advocacy coalition (contributing members listed inside). Views expressed in the documents included are not endorsed by and do not necessarily reflect the positions of the coalition that prepared this document.
Haiti president Rene Preval speaks to Al Jazeera
Rene Preval, Haiti's president, has been criticised for a lack of leadership since the January 12 earthquake struck Haiti, leaving more than 230,000 people dead.
Preval is to address the International Donors Conference on Wednesday, where more than 100 countries will meet at the United Nations to develop a long-term plan for Haiti's reconstruction.
He tells Al Jazeera's Rob Reynolds that the recovery strategy for Haiti should focus on the entire country.
Mar, 29, 2010
Preval is to address the International Donors Conference on Wednesday, where more than 100 countries will meet at the United Nations to develop a long-term plan for Haiti's reconstruction.
He tells Al Jazeera's Rob Reynolds that the recovery strategy for Haiti should focus on the entire country.
Mar, 29, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Making Haiti Whole
THE NEW YORK TIMES >
March 28, 2010
Editorial
A donors’ conference at the United Nations this Wednesday is meant to be the beginning of the long, slow birth of a new Haiti.
Representatives of the Haitian government, the United States and other nations and aid organizations will be discussing large, ambitious, farsighted plans.
Participants will be asked for lots of money: $11.5 billion to start, $34.4 billion over 10 years.
That is a large investment for a small country, but it is not all Haiti needs.
For this to succeed, the commitments made this week will need to be sustained for many years, and the rebuilding will need to clear away more than just rubble.
It will need to sweep out the old, bad ways of doing things, not only those of the infamously corrupt and hapless government, but also of aid and development agencies, whose nurturing of Haiti has been a manifest failure for more than half a century.
The good news is that even before the Jan. 12 earthquake, international donors had largely reached a consensus on what they had done wrong, and how to get Haiti right.
Their conclusions are reflected in the plans to be presented this week, with ideas like these:
TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY, EFFECTIVENESS
No donor wants to pour more cash down a Haiti sinkhole, or to fritter it away in small-bore projects that do not accomplish much.
The plan envisions a multidonor trust fund managed by the World Bank that pools money for big projects and avoids wasteful redundancy.
The Haitian Development Authority would approve the projects; outside auditors would oversee the spending.
There also is a parallel idea, in which certain donors choose just one area to focus all their efforts — reconstructing government buildings, say, or fixing the power grid.
That promises to be an effective way to eliminate the curse of inefficiency.
HAITIAN INVOLVEMENT
Haiti is Haiti’s problem, for Haitians to solve with the help of the rest of the world.
The rebuilding must involve genuine, not token, engagement by the Haitian government and civil society.
Previous efforts by aid organizations to entirely avoid the control — and corruption — of the government were an understandable impulse, but had the unwanted effect of undermining the effectiveness and credibility of the Haitian state.
The new plan proposes an interim recovery commission of Haitians and non-Haitians, which would eventually evolve into a Haitian Development Authority that answers to the prime minister.
If it works, Haiti might no longer have to rely on freelance charities roaming the country, doing scattershot good works that cannot be sustained.
Relief agencies have also recently been hiring thousands of Haitians to clear rubble.
The country needs much more of that strategy, in other areas like reforestation and reconstruction, to boost not just employment but also the skills of the work force.
SELF-SUFFICIENCY
Haitians need seeds and fertilizer more than bags of charity groceries.
President Bill Clinton recently confessed that United States trade policies in his tenure did more to help rice farmers in Arkansas than those in Haiti.
Haiti now enjoys generous access to the American market, which should be continued and expanded. As many experts have pointed out, modest investments in the garment industry, and trade preferences for it, could swiftly employ many thousands of Haitians and accelerate foreign investment.
TAPPING THE DIASPORA
Haiti does have a large, successful professional class — entrepreneurs, doctors, lawyers, teachers and administrators.
It just happens to live in Brooklyn, Miami, Boston, Canada and other places.
Many of its members are eager to go back to Haiti to help.
They could do so far more easily if their governments subsidized their salaries when they moved.
Such paid furloughs would quickly supply Haiti with people of great expertise, language skills and deep commitment to the rebuilding.
DECENTRALIZATION
There are too many people in Port-au-Prince. Haiti needs new population centers, less congested and more vibrant.
The failure to build safe housing for earthquake survivors is a continuing tragedy; the time to start fixing it is now, far from the capital.
•
The paradox being confronted on Wednesday is how to rebuild a country that was never properly built in the first place.
Haiti may yet escape the crushing legacy of its tragic history, propelled by the opportunity that this latest tragedy creates.
The government of President René Préval has not inspired confidence in its handling of the relief effort, but it has a chance to shake off its inertia and show it wants to get the rebuilding right, beginning this week.
March 28, 2010
Making Haiti Whole
Representatives of the Haitian government, the United States and other nations and aid organizations will be discussing large, ambitious, farsighted plans.
Participants will be asked for lots of money: $11.5 billion to start, $34.4 billion over 10 years.
That is a large investment for a small country, but it is not all Haiti needs.
For this to succeed, the commitments made this week will need to be sustained for many years, and the rebuilding will need to clear away more than just rubble.
It will need to sweep out the old, bad ways of doing things, not only those of the infamously corrupt and hapless government, but also of aid and development agencies, whose nurturing of Haiti has been a manifest failure for more than half a century.
The good news is that even before the Jan. 12 earthquake, international donors had largely reached a consensus on what they had done wrong, and how to get Haiti right.
Their conclusions are reflected in the plans to be presented this week, with ideas like these:
TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY, EFFECTIVENESS
No donor wants to pour more cash down a Haiti sinkhole, or to fritter it away in small-bore projects that do not accomplish much.
The plan envisions a multidonor trust fund managed by the World Bank that pools money for big projects and avoids wasteful redundancy.
The Haitian Development Authority would approve the projects; outside auditors would oversee the spending.
There also is a parallel idea, in which certain donors choose just one area to focus all their efforts — reconstructing government buildings, say, or fixing the power grid.
That promises to be an effective way to eliminate the curse of inefficiency.
HAITIAN INVOLVEMENT
Haiti is Haiti’s problem, for Haitians to solve with the help of the rest of the world.
The rebuilding must involve genuine, not token, engagement by the Haitian government and civil society.
Previous efforts by aid organizations to entirely avoid the control — and corruption — of the government were an understandable impulse, but had the unwanted effect of undermining the effectiveness and credibility of the Haitian state.
The new plan proposes an interim recovery commission of Haitians and non-Haitians, which would eventually evolve into a Haitian Development Authority that answers to the prime minister.
If it works, Haiti might no longer have to rely on freelance charities roaming the country, doing scattershot good works that cannot be sustained.
Relief agencies have also recently been hiring thousands of Haitians to clear rubble.
The country needs much more of that strategy, in other areas like reforestation and reconstruction, to boost not just employment but also the skills of the work force.
SELF-SUFFICIENCY
Haitians need seeds and fertilizer more than bags of charity groceries.
President Bill Clinton recently confessed that United States trade policies in his tenure did more to help rice farmers in Arkansas than those in Haiti.
Haiti now enjoys generous access to the American market, which should be continued and expanded. As many experts have pointed out, modest investments in the garment industry, and trade preferences for it, could swiftly employ many thousands of Haitians and accelerate foreign investment.
TAPPING THE DIASPORA
Haiti does have a large, successful professional class — entrepreneurs, doctors, lawyers, teachers and administrators.
It just happens to live in Brooklyn, Miami, Boston, Canada and other places.
Many of its members are eager to go back to Haiti to help.
They could do so far more easily if their governments subsidized their salaries when they moved.
Such paid furloughs would quickly supply Haiti with people of great expertise, language skills and deep commitment to the rebuilding.
DECENTRALIZATION
There are too many people in Port-au-Prince. Haiti needs new population centers, less congested and more vibrant.
The failure to build safe housing for earthquake survivors is a continuing tragedy; the time to start fixing it is now, far from the capital.
•
The paradox being confronted on Wednesday is how to rebuild a country that was never properly built in the first place.
Haiti may yet escape the crushing legacy of its tragic history, propelled by the opportunity that this latest tragedy creates.
The government of President René Préval has not inspired confidence in its handling of the relief effort, but it has a chance to shake off its inertia and show it wants to get the rebuilding right, beginning this week.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Haiti Donors Conference FAQ
Source: Haiti Donors Conference Web Site >
Frequently Asked Questions
International Donors’ Conference
Towards a New Future for Haiti
March 31, 2010, United Nations Headquarters, New York
International Donors’ Conference
Towards a New Future for Haiti
March 31, 2010, United Nations Headquarters, New York
(DRAFT)
Conference Goals
Q: What are the goals of the Conference?
A: The goal of the Conference is to mobilize international support and announce concrete financial commitments for Haiti’s recovery and reconstruction needs as the country begins to lay the foundation for its long-term development.
Q: What types of pledges of assistance are you seeking?
Q: How will priorities for development assistance be set?
A: Priorities for the assistance will be set by the Government of Haiti, which will present its strategy, developed with input from the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment led by the Government with the joint support of the United Nations, World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, European Commission, and several major donors.
Q: How can donors be sure that pledged assistance actually reaches Haiti?
A: The pledges will be published and assistance flows tracked through a web-based system being established by the UN with the Government of Haiti. This represents an effort to trying to improve on past practice and provide support in a transparent and more effective way.
Conference Organization
Q: Why are the United States and the United Nations the co-hosts of the Conference?
A: The United States has been the largest donor to Haiti, and the United Nations has a long-established valuable role in Haiti and provides a forum to mobilize a truly global response. It is natural that both would co-host.
Q: What is the role of major donors mentioned in the Conference invitation?
A: Brazil, Canada, the European Union, France, and Spain, as major supporters of Haiti, are helping to organize the Conference, and will act as Conference co-chairs.
Q: Who is invited to the donors’ conference and at what level?
A: All member states of the United Nations are invited and are encouraged to attend at the ministerial level. Major international organizations are also invited as well as representatives selected to report the findings from outreach and consultation meetings held before the conference with Haitian civil society, the private sector, the Haitian diaspora, Haitian state and local government, MINUSTAH stakeholders, and international NGOs.
Q: Will non-governmental delegations be included?
A: While donors’ conferences are limited to governmental participation, for this Conference we have incorporated broader inclusion through pre-conference outreach and consultation meetings. A series of preparatory consultations are being undertaken with Haitian civil society, the Haitian Diaspora, the private sector, Haitian state and local government, and non-governmental organizations in these meetings, which will report back to the Conference through representatives. The future of Haiti will not rest on government commitments alone, but on support from a strong private sector, non-governmental organizations and civic engagement.
Non-governmental Participants
Q: How will the Haitian people be represented?
A: The Haitian people will be represented in three ways: first, by their elected government officials, second by Haitian civil society representatives at the conference who will report back from the preparatory consultations, and third, through the inclusion of Haitian civil society in the conference process overall. The Office of the UN Special Envoy to Haiti, the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), NGO’s, and local community groups have organized more than 125 meetings with a total of more than 1,000 Haitians living in rural and urban areas of Haiti’s 10 departments. A summary of the groups’ findings will be presented to the Conference by designated representatives.
Q: How will international and Haitian NGOs participate?
A: There will be a series of NGO events that will culminate in a meeting on March 25 in New York being organized by the Office of the UN Special Envoy to Haiti , InterAction, and the European Commission. Representatives from this event will be asked to address the Conference on March 31.
Q: Will any other groups be represented at the Conference?
A: Yes, meetings will or have been held with citizens in Haiti through focus group discussions (March 15), with representatives of the private sector (Haiti, March 15, organized by the Inter-American Development Bank), the Haitian Diaspora (Washington, D.C., March 21-23, organized by the Organization of American States), MINUSTAH stakeholders (New York, March 23, organized by the Government of Brazil and the Government of Haiti), and Haitian state and local government (Martinique, March 23, organized by the Government of France) Two representatives from each of these meetings will be asked to address the Conference on March 31.
Conference Agenda and Format
Q: What is the agenda?
A: It is still being finalized, but will include introductory remarks by the co-hosts and the Government of Haiti, statements by the co-chairs, reports from the public outreach meetings, presentation of the Haitian plan for development and a response by international institutions, and then the pledging session.
Q: Who gets to speak?
A: Given the number of delegations expected to attend the Conference and the limits of time, only those making financial contributions for long-term recovery and reconstruction (as distinct from the humanitarian assistance that so many countries have already generously provided) will be speaking. We are asking those making pledging statements to limit their remarks to less than 3 minutes and are making available a dedicated website for delegations to share longer statements. Unfortunately, because of time restrictions, donors offering in-kind support will not be able to take the floor.
Q: What determines speaking order?
A: The co-hosts will determine the order.
Q: Is the conference open to the public?
A: The conference will be live-streamed and thus the public will be able to follow the entire proceedings.
Q: Will there be a website?
A: Yes, www.haiticonference.org
Q: Are there side events?
A: None are scheduled at this time.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
Brazil and US to support Haiti's spring planting season
Go to Original (Organization of American States) >
Brazil and the United States donate US$ 500,000 to IICA project in Haiti
March 18, 2010
The Brazilian and the U.S. Missions to the Organization of American States (OAS) announced that their governments, as a sign of their commitment to Haiti, have each donated $250,000 to support Haiti's spring planting season, which begins this March and accounts for 60 percent of Haiti's food production. The donation will be used to fund a soil preparation project to help in Haiti's most immediate and critical planting season, during the next 8 weeks.
The operation jointly funded by Brazil and the U.S. will be managed by Haiti's Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development, with the technical assistance of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA).
The project will cover 6,000 hectares in the areas of Plaine du Cul de Sac, Plaine Arcahaie , Region Goavienne, Bas Plateau Central and Plaine Gonaïves, and will benefit approximately 12,000 rural families.
The IICA is the specialized agency for agriculture of the inter-American system and responds to the mandates of the OAS Member States. Its mission is to support the Member States in their pursuit of progress and prosperity in the hemisphere through the modernization of the rural sector, promotion of food security, and development of an agricultural sector that is competitive, technologically prepared, environmentally managed, and socially equitable for the people of the Americas.
Brazil and the United States donate US$ 500,000 to IICA project in Haiti
March 18, 2010
The Brazilian and the U.S. Missions to the Organization of American States (OAS) announced that their governments, as a sign of their commitment to Haiti, have each donated $250,000 to support Haiti's spring planting season, which begins this March and accounts for 60 percent of Haiti's food production. The donation will be used to fund a soil preparation project to help in Haiti's most immediate and critical planting season, during the next 8 weeks.
The operation jointly funded by Brazil and the U.S. will be managed by Haiti's Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development, with the technical assistance of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA).
The project will cover 6,000 hectares in the areas of Plaine du Cul de Sac, Plaine Arcahaie , Region Goavienne, Bas Plateau Central and Plaine Gonaïves, and will benefit approximately 12,000 rural families.
The IICA is the specialized agency for agriculture of the inter-American system and responds to the mandates of the OAS Member States. Its mission is to support the Member States in their pursuit of progress and prosperity in the hemisphere through the modernization of the rural sector, promotion of food security, and development of an agricultural sector that is competitive, technologically prepared, environmentally managed, and socially equitable for the people of the Americas.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
The United States and United Nations Announce the Haiti Donors' Conference
Go to Original (U.S. Department of State) >
Washington, DC
Washington, DC
March 4, 2010
The United States and the United Nations, in cooperation with the Government of Haiti, and with the support of Brazil, Canada, the European Union, France, and Spain will co-host a ministerial International Donors’ Conference Towards a New Future for Haiti at the United Nations in New York on March 31, 2010. The goal of the conference is to mobilize international support for the development needs of Haiti to begin to lay the foundation for Haiti’s long-term recovery.
The Government of Haiti faces enormous challenges following the devastating earthquake of January 12. Meeting these challenges will require a sustained and substantial commitment from the international community, in support of the Government and people of Haiti. At the donors’ conference, Haiti will present its vision for Haiti’s future and how international support can assist. Donor countries, international organizations, and other partners will have an opportunity to pledge resources, to coordinate in support of Haiti’s long-term recovery, and to commit to a sustained effort to support Haiti.
The Government of Haiti faces enormous challenges following the devastating earthquake of January 12. Meeting these challenges will require a sustained and substantial commitment from the international community, in support of the Government and people of Haiti. At the donors’ conference, Haiti will present its vision for Haiti’s future and how international support can assist. Donor countries, international organizations, and other partners will have an opportunity to pledge resources, to coordinate in support of Haiti’s long-term recovery, and to commit to a sustained effort to support Haiti.
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