Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada recently published the Evaluation of Canada-Haiti Cooperation, which reviewed Canada’s bilateral development program in Haiti for 2006-2013. The findings of the evaluation, as well as the outcomes from the 2010 earthquake reconstruction efforts, were considered in the development of the new 2015-2020 strategy for Canada’s engagement in Haiti.
- Economic growth and prosperity—Canada will support the emergence of a more resilient economy with sustained prosperity and growth through the engagement of the private sector and the promotion of innovative financing mechanisms. Programming will be aimed at:
- improving access to credit and other financial services;
- supporting improvements in the business climate and land titling;
- supporting the development of key industries (e.g. agriculture, mining, tourism and manufacturing); and
- strengthening the capacity, independence and accountability of economic entities, including municipalities.
- Democratic and accountable government—The renewed strategy will support democratic development and the fight against corruption, and will contribute to improving the capacity of the state. Actions will include:
- supporting electoral processes;
- accelerating public-service reforms to increase productivity and competency (e.g. the collection of taxes and customs);
- investing in civil society, with attention to women’s political participation, youth engagement and anti-corruption activities; and
- improving the capacity and transparency of the Haitian government to enable economic growth and supervise the delivery of basic services, especially in health and education.
- Rule of law and security—Canada’s engagement will continue to:
- strengthen the Haitian National Police;
- strengthen the capacity and independence of the judicial and correctional systems while targeting faster prosecutions;
- support regional security programs; and
- seek to reinforce stability in Haiti.
Programming will contribute to the accelerated modernization of civil and criminal law and legislative measures (e.g. taxation, commercial code) that can help support economic growth.
- Supporting health and welfare of Haitian women and youth—Canada will continue to play a leadership role to:
- improve maternal, newborn and child health in Haiti;
- support initiatives in child protection with direct and immediate results on child trafficking; and
- continue to increase the access to and completion of basic education, with a focus on girls.
In addition to its programming, Canada will sign a mutual accountability framework with the Government of Haiti reaffirming transparent, efficient and long-term cooperation between Canada and Haiti. The framework will identify clear measures, principles and commitments that will make it possible to strengthen cooperation between the two countries. The framework will also establish mutual expectations; stress the importance of Canadian principles and values; establish greater transparency, predictability, and accountability in how investments are spent; and set clear targets for the results Canada and Haiti want to achieve.
Canada is also seeking a greater leadership role in the area of aid coordination to support necessary structural change and sustainable results. The Government of Canada will continue to work with the Government of Haiti and primary donors to identify priority issues and establish work plans to address these.
Canada has been one of the largest bilateral donors in Haiti, supporting humanitarian needs and reconstruction, and promoting stability and long-term development. Even as Canada reviewed its engagement in Haiti, critical humanitarian programming continued and results were achieved.
For instance, Canada supported programming to fight the cholera outbreak in Haiti, providing safe drinking water, and access to sanitation facilities and primary health care. Canada also contributed to the opening of La Providence Hospital in Gonaïves.
Canada is helping the Haitian government to organize and conduct free, transparent and inclusive elections that are set to begin in August 2015.
Other tangible results of Canada’s efforts include:
- resettling more than 70,000 people displaced by the 2010 earthquake;
- providing access to free health care for 212,000 children under the age of five and to 72,000 pregnant women;
- providing access to basic education for 975,000 children;
- supporting access to financial services through 47 credit unions for 440,000 Haitians, stimulating the small and medium-sized enterprise sector; and
- training 77 future Haitian National Police commissioners.
The Government of Canada also recently announced its intention to provide Canadians with safe, reliable and low-cost services to transfer money to family and friends outside the country, helping to improve economic conditions abroad. These remittances represent a major source of income for Haitians and support a sustainable path out of poverty for the most vulnerable.
