INTRODUCTION

The tragic disaster of 12 January 2010 cleaved the contemporary history of Haiti into two eras—pre-earthquake and post-earthquake. As devastating as the quake was, much of the progress made before the earth shook that afternoon can and must be reclaimed, even as the overall amount of work required to “put Haiti on its feet” has exponentially increased.

ACCOMPANIMENT:
THE FOUNDATION FOR RECOVERY

From its inception, the Office of the Special Envoy (OSE) has advocated that all those involved in Haiti take an “accompaniment” approach - working alongside the Haitian government and its partners; channeling more aid to direct budget support in order to strengthen national institutions; recruiting and training Haitians whenever possible; and contributing resources and expertise to Haitian institutions. All of these must be done with the Haitian government “in the driver’s seat”—itself a precondition of long-term positive change in Haiti.

In May 2009 United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon asked former US President William J. Clinton to be his Special Envoy and work with the Government of Haiti to help the country recover from a series of deadly hurricanes, encourage private sector investment, and improve coordination among the many non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working in Haiti. The Special Envoy was charged with working closely with the Haitian government and the international community to jumpstart efforts to address longstanding economic, governmental, social, and environmental challenges and find innovative solutions to chronic, poverty-related problems. To support President Clinton in his new role, the Secretary-General appointed Dr. Paul Farmer to the position of Deputy Special Envoy for Haiti in August 2009.

Following the 12 January 2010 earthquake, the Secretary-General asked the Special Envoy to take on a broader role in Haiti, drawing on his experiences as a UN Special Envoy after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. These expanded duties include helping to address gaps in humanitarian efforts, and convening a broad array of partners who might otherwise work independently and redundantly of one another. The ultimate goal of the Special Envoy’s post-earthquake mandate is to ensure that the Government of Haiti, supported by all its partners, is able to fulfill its obligations and lead effective reconstruction efforts that will ultimately result in a prosperous and stable future for the Haitian people.

This report synopsizes initiatives undertaken or supported by the OSE, both before and after the earthquake. They vary in scope and sector, and some have been transferred to other entities in the wake of the disaster. The Special Envoy and his deputy are well aware of the enormity of the tasks ahead, both for the OSE specifically and for Haiti more broadly. From the very most pressing priorities—such as removing rubble, protecting women at risk of gender-based violence, and containing the cholera epidemic—to the longer-term challenges, the OSE remains dedicated to supporting the government and reaching out to all those willing to aid Haiti at this critical juncture in its history.