March 2, 2009
Minister Beverley J. Oda with Haitian Ministers
Jean Max Bellerive and Daniel Dorsainvil,
at the Ottawa Technical Meeting on Haiti.
Ottawa, Ontario - The Honourable Beverley J. Oda, Minister of International Cooperation, welcomed Minister Jean Max Bellerive , Haitian Minister of Planning and External Cooperation and Minister Daniel Dorsainvil, Haitian Minister of the Economy and Finance to Canada as she opened today a two-day technical meeting with high-level officials from Canada, Haiti, and other international partners, to lay the groundwork for an International Donors’ Conference on Haiti to be held in Washington, D.C. on April 13-14, 2009.
“This is an important step to ensure that our work in Haiti will improve the quality of life and build a better future for all Haitians currently facing extreme poverty and the effects of multiple natural disasters," said Minister Oda. "Together with our international partners and the Haitian government, we must strengthen our prospects to achieve progress more effectively. In these tough economic times, we all need to ensure that our aid dollars have a greater impact. We must show Haitians, and our own citizens, that we are delivering real results."
Haiti is central to Canada’s engagement in the Americas, and is a compelling example of how Canada can work with its neighbours to ensure security, development and good governance. The poorest country in the Americas, Haiti is the largest recipient of development aid from Canada in the Western hemisphere. Canada is contributing $555 million to support development in Haiti between 2006 and 2011—the only international donor to have committed to a five-year period.
The two-day technical meeting will enable the Haitian government and its international partners to support the Haitian National Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy, and to review the government’s proposals for investment and aid effectiveness. This key preparatory work is to help ensure that the international conference yields concrete and meaningful results.
“The time has come to move our collective efforts to the next level through more effective assistance and increased coordination which, combined with mobilizing new development partners, can hopefully strengthen international support for Haiti,” said Minister Oda.
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Information: Michelle Coates
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of International Cooperation
Telephone: 819-953-6238
Media Relations Office
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
Telephone: 819-953-6534
E-mail:
media@acdi-cida.gc.ca
