OFFICE OF THE SPECIAL ENVOY FOR HAITI

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Meeting with Non-Governmental Organizations

March 15, 2010

Overview:

On March 25, the Office of the Special Envoy for Haiti, InterAction and the European Union will host a meeting with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on Haiti’s plans for long-term recovery in preparation for a March 31 international donor conference in New York.

Presentations will be made by the Special Envoy for Haiti, President William J. Clinton, the Deputy Special Envoy for Haiti, Paul E. Farmer, European Union Commissioner, Kristalina Georgieva, and a senior official from the Government of Haiti.

The March 25 meeting will be a global NGO consultation and will therefore include representatives from Haiti, South America, Asia, Canada, Europe and the United States. Participants will include national NGO platforms and coalitions (which collectively represent well over a thousand NGOs or at least 90% of all the international NGOs in Haiti) and the global NGO federations who represent a similar percentage of all the private resources committed to Haiti's recovery (which should soon exceed $1 billion). Participants will be identified from those who have participated in a number of pre-meetings with NGOs being organized in Haiti, Europe and Washington, D.C. prior to March 25. Bilateral and multi-lateral donors will also be represented with a number of observers.

Agenda:

The first part of the day will include discussions about Haiti’s recovery plans and the roles and responsibilities of NGOs. The group will then break into smaller sessions to discuss key issues in Haiti’s recovery. The day will close with reports back to the full group. Results from this meeting will be discussed at the March 31 Donor Conference, Towards a New Future for Haiti.

Background:

March 31 Donor Conference

The United States and the United Nations (UN), 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. All 192 UN member states have been invited to attend the conference.

The goal of the conference is to mobilize international support for the development needs of Haiti in an effort to lay the foundation for Haiti’s long-term recovery. At the conference, Haiti will present its vision for the country’s future and how international support can assist. 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.

Additional Outreach Meetings

In addition to the NGO Outreach Meeting, a number of additional outreach meetings with key constituencies are also held in preparation for the Donors Conference to seek feedback on and support for the Government of Haiti’s strategy. The meetings are as follows:

  • March 15: Consultation with citizens in Haiti through focus group discussions, called the Voice of the Voiceless consultations, is finalized. (This effort is led by the Office of the Special Envoy and the United Nations in Haiti.)
  • March 15: Consultation with Haitian and international private sector representatives hosted by the Inter-American Development Bank in Port-au-Prince.
  • March 23: Consultation with Haitian Diaspora hosted by the Organization of American States in Washington D.C.
  • March 23: Consultation with local government authorities hosted by France in Saint Martin.