Québec, November 7, 2007—Canada’s Minister of International Cooperation, the Honourable Beverley J. Oda, Quebec’s Minister for International Relations and Minister Responsible for La Francophonie, Monique Gagnon-Tremblay, and Haiti’s Minister for Planning and External Cooperation, Jean-Max Bellerive, today signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at providing support for governance in Haiti. Marcel Proulx, Director General of the École nationale d’administration publique (ÉNAP), was also on hand for the official signing.
The MOU will permit the start-up of PAGE (Projet d’appui à la gouverne de l’État haïtien), a five-year, $7.2-million project in support of governance in Haiti, for which ÉNAP is the executing agency. The project will allow expertise and know-how from the Quebec government to be transferred to the Haitian government. The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) is making a $5-million contribution to the project, while the Government of Quebec is contributing $1.5 million in the form of salaries of the government department and agency employees who will be sharing their expertise with their Haitian counterparts. The Haitian government’s financial contribution will also be in the form of salaries for personnel involved.
Groundwork action
“Strengthening governance in Haiti is a priority for the Government of Canada. This initiative will help the Haitian government establish a professional public service to more effectively address the many needs of Haiti’s population,” stated Minister Oda. “This project also demonstrates Canada’s and Quebec’s commitment to sustainable collaboration with the Government of Haiti.”
“This project is the fulfillment of the government of Quebec’s desire, expressed by its Premier, to take tangible action to help Haiti pursue its own development. Establishing new cooperation approaches with CIDA, building governance capacity through international solidarity projects, and taking action through La Francophonie – notably in Haiti – are among Quebec’s foreign policy priorities,” stated Minister Gagnon-Tremblay.
“Haiti enjoys close relationships with the governments of Quebec and Canada,” said Minister Bellerive. “This initiative is a testimony to the collaborative Canadian approach, which supports the Haitian government’s efforts and priorities in establishing a more efficient civil service, capable of responding to the Haitian population’s needs and expectations.”
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Sources:
Jean-Luc Benoît
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister for International Cooperation
819-997-6919
Media Relations Office
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
819-953-6534
François Émond
Deputy Chief of Staff
Office of Quebec’s Minister for International Relations and Minister Responsible for La Francophonie
418-649-2319
Pierre-Richard Casimir
Consul General for Haiti in Montréal
514-499-1919
