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Article
Donors Envision National Renewal for Haiti
By Merle David Kellerhals Jr.Staff Writer Washington — Haitian President René Préval provided an international donors’ conference with a $3.9 billion post-earthquake reconstruction plan to begin the initial work of rebuilding the small Caribbean nation — the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. And international donors responded with $9.9 billion in pledges, which includes more than $5.3 billion for the first two years of reconstruction. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced the pledges at the conclusion of the daylong donors’ conference at U.N. headquarters in New York March 31. Earlier in the day, Ban told donors that he envisions a “wholesale national renewal” for the Haitian people. He said reconstruction must move in tandem with emergency relief and urged donors to provide further support to the revised humanitarian appeal for Haiti. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton praised the United Nations for its indispensable coordination in the aftermath of the January 12 earthquake that struck Haiti. According to the Haitian action plan Préval presented to the donors, “rebuilding Haiti does not mean returning to the situation that prevailed before the earthquake. It means addressing all these areas of vulnerability, so that the vagaries of nature or natural disasters never again inflict such suffering or cause so much damage and loss.” The plan is directed at spending the initial outlay of nearly $4 billion of the $11.5 billion being sought by the United Nations for specific projects through the newly created Interim Haiti Recovery Commission during the next 18 months. “What we envision, today, is wholesale national renewal. A sweeping exercise in nation-building on a scale and scope not seen in generations,” Ban told delegates from nearly 130 nations gathered in New York. The total value of damage and losses sustained has been set at approximately $7 billion, according to the U.N. Development Programme. But economists at the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) conducted a preliminary study of the damages (PDF, 240KB) and estimated that it would take approximately $8 billion to $14 billion over a decade to rebuild the island nation. Secretary Clinton told the donors’ conference the United States was committed to $1.15 billion for helping in the rebuilding of Haiti. Haiti was struck by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake on January 12 that killed an estimated 230,000 people and displaced nearly 3 million in the nation of about 9 million Haitians. The earthquake destroyed more than 105,000 homes, 50 hospitals and health centers, 1,300 school and university buildings and the National Palace, parliament and most government buildings in the capital city Port-au-Prince. Port-au-Prince is the center of the nation’s government, commerce and economy. The European Union pledged $1.6 billion and Brazil pledged $172 million. Spain pledged $346 million for the donor fund for reconstruction, and $121.5 million will be given this year, followed by increments of $75 million in 2011 and an additional $74.5 million in 2013 with more to follow, said María Teresa Fernández de la Vega, the first vice president of Spain. “This is aid that will go as a matter of priority to the government of Haiti according to its priorities — water and sanitation, education, basic living standards, environmental sustainability, food security, agriculture and primary production,” Fernández said. Inter-American Development Bank President Luis Alberto Moreno said the bank would make $200 million a year in grants to Haiti for the next 10 years at no cost to the Haitian government, and the bank will provide debt relief to Haiti “in an amount close to $500 million.” World Bank President Robert Zoellick said there needs to be a division of labor among international agencies to avoid duplication of effort. He also called for another meeting in six months, coinciding with the annual high-level debate of the U.N. General Assembly in September to assess progress. “This can be our accountability report to the people of Haiti,” Zoellick said. Dominique Strauss-Kahn, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, told delegates that Haiti likely will see annual growth of 8 percent over the next five years during the initial reconstruction phase, but only if “we really have Haitian authorities in the driver’s seat.” CONFERENCE SPONSORS The ministerial-level conference was jointly sponsored by the United States and the United Nations in cooperation with the Haitian government, and also with the support of Brazil, Canada, the European Union, France and Spain. It is being called the “International Donors’ Conference Towards a New Future for Haiti.” The Dominican Republic, which is Haiti’s nearest neighbor, hosted an international conference of high-level technical donors March 16–17 to evaluate the economic consequences of the earthquake. And on March 22, the IADB agreed to forgive $479 million of the country’s $1.2 billion in foreign debt. Former U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, at the request of President Obama, are spearheading international efforts to raise funds for Haitian relief. They met with President Préval on the grounds of the damaged National Palace in Port-au-Prince March 22 to help focus attention on the need for long-term reconstruction funding for Haiti. The nonprofit Clinton Bush Haiti Fund has raised approximately $37 million for Haitian relief. Obama has personally donated $200,000 to the Haiti Fund from his Nobel Peace Prize award. The IADB said it would provide approximately $2 billion in new financing to Haiti over the next decade. The Group of Seven nations — Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States — also announced in early February that it would cancel Haiti’s bilateral debt. The World Bank’s board approved a $65 million project to support the recovery of Haiti’s critical infrastructure as well as the re-establishment of basic state functions. It is part of a $100 million emergency grant announced by the World Bank right after the earthquake.
31 March 2010
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Remarks by Secretary Clinton After Haiti Donors Conference
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Office of the Spokesman March 31, 2010 REMARKS Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton After the Haiti Donors Conference March 31, 2010 Washington, D.C. SECRETARY GENERAL BAN: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, excellencies, your colleagues. Today, the international community has come together dramatically in solidarity with Haiti and its people. President Preval’s rendezvous with history has come to pass. By their actions this day, the friends of Haiti have acted far beyond the expectation. We can report very good news. The member states of the United Nations and international partners have pledged 5.3 billion U.S. dollars for the next two years and $9.9 billion in total for the next three years and beyond. (Applause.) Today, the United Nations are united for Haiti. The international community has acted unanimously and for the long term. This is the down payment Haiti needs for wholesale national renewal. It is the way to building back better. Now, it comes down to implementation – delivery on our promises, transparency, and accountability. We must make sure Haiti gets the money it needs when it needs it. And we must guarantee that it is well-coordinated and well-spent. I want to thank, once again, international community for their extraordinary generosity. This is international solidarity in action. I also want to thank co-host Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the five co-chairs present here for the successful outcome. My special appreciation should go to Special Envoy President Bill Clinton. He’ll be working with UN agencies and, of course, the Government of Haiti in tracking these resources and following through. The plight of these people requires immediate action, and we are all painfully aware of the difficult living conditions in the camps, and in particular, reports of sexual violence against women and children. Very soon, I will dispatch the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations to Haiti to survey the situation in the camps, assess the steps taken, and explore areas for further action. Today, we have mobilized to give Haiti and its people what they need most – hope for a new future. We have made a good start. We need now to deliver. Thank you very much, and I invite the Secretary of State, then President Preval. Thank you very much. SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you very much, Secretary General, and I want to express great appreciation to the Secretary General and to the United Nations. The United Nations itself suffered grievous losses in Haiti, but from the first hours of the disaster, it pulled together to provide indispensible global coordination. And I know for the Secretary General, this is a deeply felt, personal commitment, so thank you, sir. SECRETARY GENERAL BAN: Thank you very much. SECRETARY CLINTON: And I want to also express great appreciation for the efforts of President Preval and the Haitian Government. As we’ve heard many times today, under the most difficult circumstances, with their ministries in ruin, with people having lost houses, family members, with ministers unable to even know who was left in their offices, the government worked very hard to meet the needs of its people and to begin planning for the future. President Preval, thank you for your steadfast commitment to Haiti’s future. And I want to thank our co-chairs – Brazil, Canada, the European Union, France, and Spain – for their tremendous support. This has been a real team effort. You see the people up here, but literally behind us have been the hundreds and hundreds of people in the UN, in Haiti, in our governments, in the EU, other multilateral institutions who have done the hard work to bring about this successful day of commitment and solidarity. Today, 48 countries, multilateral institutions, and a coalition of NGOs have pledged nearly $10 billion toward the long-term reconstruction efforts in Haiti. Now, that is an impressive sum by any standard. But even more critically, of this amount, more than $5 billion has been raised for the first 18 months of Haiti’s reconstruction. This far exceeds the 3.9 billion that the Haitians identified as their minimum need for this time period. This money has been pledged by a diverse community of nations – from Brazil, of course, to the other co-hosts, but also Mali and Montenegro, Kuwait, the nations of CARICOM and so many more. All of the countries and their pledges will be on the website for this conference. Now, to put this effort in perspective, after the 2004 tsunami, more than 80 countries provided immediate humanitarian assistance, and more than 20 countries pledged assistance for reconstruction. As of today, more than 140 countries have provided humanitarian assistance to Haiti and nearly 50 countries have made pledges of support for Haiti’s rebuilding. This signals a new level of global commitment, coordination, and cooperation. Today, the Government of Haiti presented its reconstruction plan. We heard from Prime Minister Bellerive a roadmap for building a new Haiti, a Haiti with a vibrant private sector, accountable and effective government institutions, and international partners that would be working with Haiti, not separate and apart from Haiti. This plan represents a renewed commitment by the Haitian Government to define needs and priorities, to step up accountability and transparency, and to improve delivery of services. All of us are committed to this process, but no one has more at stake than the Haitian people. And I was very pleased that our conference today included their voices as well – members of civil society and of the private sector and others who responded to focus groups and made sure that their needs were known to all of us. We have the chance not only to contribute to Haiti’s progress but to demonstrate that the international community can achieve a new level of effectiveness and impact to test new approaches, use new technologies, engage one another to build stronger ties between our countries and peoples. Aid is important, but aid has never saved a country. Our goal must be the empowerment of the Haitian people. They are the ones who will carry on the work of rebuilding Haiti long after our involvement has ended. Haiti does not only need medicines and surgeries, but it needs the doctors and nurses who can deliver the regular care and sustain a thriving health system. Haiti not only needs new school buildings, but it needs teachers and administrators. It needs the people of Haiti to be given the tools to be able to deliver on the promise of their own future. I’m very proud that the United States has played a role in this, but it has been, as I said at the beginning, a team effort. Since January 12th, the United States has provided already more than $930 million in assistance. The money that we pledged today, more than a billion dollars, will go toward reconstruction and multilateral debt relief. And we’re looking forward to the establishment of the multi donor trust fund. We’re going to be led by the core principles we laid out in the Montreal in January at the conference convened by the Canadian Government. Reconstruction will be Haitian-led, inclusive, accountable, transparent, coordinated, and results-oriented. So, Secretary General, this has been a good day, a good day for Haiti, a good day for the United Nations, but also a good day for the international community, which has demonstrated our ability to rise to a challenge of the scope and significance of that posed by the disaster in Haiti, and to demonstrate that the people of the world are united in our efforts to help build that better future. Thank you. (Applause.) SECRETARY GENERAL BAN: Thank you very much. Mr. President. PRESIDENT PREVAL: (Via interpreter) Mr. Secretary General, Secretary of State, my dear friends, co-chairs of this conference, first of all, Secretary General, allow me once again to express my condolences to the United Nations family for the major losses that were suffered, and particularly the deaths of Hedi Annabi and Mr. da Costa, and all those who were with them on that day. I’d also like to express my condolences to all those countries who suffered losses on that day, the 12th of January. Thank you for the spontaneous response in coming to the assistance of Haiti in the first moments following the disaster. Today, it has been demonstrated that the international community will continue to support Haiti over the long term and it will meet the needs that this disaster has caused. And the figures clearly show the losses. Now the contributions have been made both by small countries, small contributions, and also major contributions by larger countries. This is a heartfelt effort and it demonstrates that Haiti is not on its own. And we express on behalf of Haitian people, thank you. The international community has done its part. The Haitian people today must now do their part. First, they must continue that process which will make this – these millions available, and that is to – the review and ratification by the parliament of that law which will allow this process to continue. And it’s our hope, given the urgency of the situation, that this will be done as soon as possible. The Secretary of State has just pointed out that the assistance is – assistance is not development, but it does prepare the ground for development. We need investment in the private sector in Haiti, both within Haiti and also from the diaspora and also foreign investment. The Haitian people must play their role also in this respect by ensuring that investors will enjoy political stability and clear legal rules governing those investments. We must take advantage of this opportunity that we now have and I appeal to my fellow Haitians to understand the effort that has now been made by the international community and the responsibility that we now have in the interest of our country to respond rapidly and appropriately. Thank you, Secretary of State. Thank you, Secretary General. Thank you, my dear friends, for being willing to help the people of Haiti. And once again, thank you very much. (Applause.) SECRETARY GENERAL BAN: Thank you. And Mr. President, I’d like to invite the co-chairs to say, one by one, starting from foreign minister of Brazil, very briefly – very briefly. (Laughter.) FOREIGN MINISTER AMORIM: Thank you, Mr. Secretary General. If you’ll say once more very briefly, I better stay silent. (Laughter.) But I’ll be very brief indeed. I think I already said what I had to say in my speech in the morning and I don’t want to repeat. I just want to say this really is a historic date for Haiti, certainly, but also for the UN. I mean, we very often hear outside this building “What’s the use of the UN? What are you all talking about?” Here, you have a concrete reply to this question so often made and which sometimes have – difficult to answer. Now, we have this concrete answer. But it’s a historic date also for Haiti, because as someone said, it’s – in a way, Haiti is proclaiming its second independence. The first one, Toussaint Louverture, had to fight with the forces of the moment and had a high price to pay. This time, it’s the country. It’s the independence with the support of the international community. And we all have to be very happy for that. Two quick ideas which I will mention and which already were in my speech, but I want to mention once again: You don’t have real economic development if you don’t have markets. So I want to insist if we want, really, to help Haiti, not to be dependent on charity, but really to develop – let us try to open markets to Haiti. Let us give duty-free, quota-free to Haitian products with preferential rules of origin. Those who know trade know what that means and know how important it will be for investment in textile and some other – so many areas which President Clinton, among others, have mentioned. Second idea: Let us make of this tragic 12th of January the universal date of solidarity. That’s not only symbolic, not only rhetoric, but it’s to remind us for the next few years that we still have a job to perform, that the job of solidarity is not only exhausted today; it has to be repeated in the surveillance of the implementation of what we decided today. So these are the two things. I think I was brief enough. Thank you very much. (Applause.) FOREIGN MINISTER CANNON: Thank you. I’m, as well, heartened by the enthusiasm, the passion, and the commitment demonstrated by the international community here today. Haiti’s family and global support network has grown sustainability – I’m sorry, substantially. The seeds that we planted in Montreal – the Montreal principles less than three months ago – are now beginning to emerge. We have come in solidarity, we have given generously, and now, we expect results. As donors, we have set a high bar for our own coordination and we have committed to be transparent and accountable. For their part, we have heard from the Haitians, from the president, from the prime minister, we’ve heard from the Haitian civil society that they accept the need for real change in their country, and to address longstanding impediments in inequalities that have limited the progress of their people and their nation. What is needed to move forward is not merely political stability, but a strong, unified, national political consensus. (Via interpreter) If this commitment is to be met and sustained, if we can continue to target our priorities, then every dollar invested wisely and in an effective way, then we can fulfill our commitments to the people of Haiti to ensure a better future for them and their children. We’ve made considerable progress in order to build upon the current trend towards assisting Haiti. And today, we’ve reached a major stage on the long path ahead of us. Now, we must rapidly achieve results. Thank you. (Applause.) MS. ASHTON: In 35 seconds, 235,000 people perished, 300,000 people were injured, and 1 million people became homeless. The United Nations and international organizations lost people who were there dedicated to provide a better future for Haiti. Remembering all that, I want to pay tribute to the 27 members of the European Union and to the institutions who have committed themselves to supporting this effort today – an effort that I believe is engaged in producing an economic future for all the people of Haiti, and especially for the children, some of whom I was privileged in my visit to meet. Mr. President, this is only the beginning, but I think everyone here is committed to support you to the end of this process. (Applause.) FOREIGN MINISTER KOUCHNER: (Via interpreter) On some occasions, we can be proud to be a part of the international community, sometimes. But we also wonder why it’s always in the face of a disaster that we respond so well. Alfred de Musset say that nothing makes us as great as a great suffering the feels of disaster of those that are the most beautiful. Why do we always come together when a disaster occurs? That’s the question that I ask myself. I believe that we all felt on that 12th of January that we were all Haitians, all of us. And today, we continue to be Haitians. What has changed, as the prime ministers just told me, is the development paradigm. So I congratulate you also on changing the development paradigm. We’re not just satisfied with – and we’ve all been humanitarian workers in Haiti. What has changed now is that the Haitian people have taken the decision to assume responsibility for their own future. Thank you, Secretary General, President. Thank you all. This was a collective endeavor and we enjoyed working together. Thank you, Prime Minister. Thank you. (Applause.) VICE PRESIDENT FERNANDEZ DE LA VEGA SANZ: (Via interpreter) I would like to join others and thank the Secretary General of the United Nations and the Secretary of State of the United States for organizing this conference. This day of work, and as you have seen, it has been most fruitful. There is no doubt. As has been said, today is an important day. It’s an important day for the people of Haiti and the whole world. We have taken a new step with that commitment for reconstruction of Haiti that started with the Santo Domingo conference, continued in Montreal, and today, we have turned it into figures. The figures might be seen as cold, as some people say. They are not. These are figures that speak to us of solidarity, of peoples and nations, of the whole planet. This is an important day today. It is important because you can see the before and after in international political cooperation. I am convinced now that we have started that commitment so that donors can not only speak out with gifts and donations, but also as soon as possible. This will mean tangible reality for the Haitian people. Spain welcomes the development of this conference. This conference has not only shown great economic results, but it also set a new financial institutional architecture, and the United Nations will ensure transparency and monitoring over implementation of reconstruction projects. The challenge, ladies and gentlemen, is an important one. Difficulty is an excuse, though, that this world and the future do not accept. Today, peoples of all continents and from the whole planet have signed a statement, a pledge for the future of Haiti. It is the determination of the Government of Spain that we make sure that this is a declaration for a better world. Thank you. (Applause.) MODERATOR: We have time for three questions. When you ask your question, please could I ask you to say to whom the question is addressed? The first is EFE. Please, could you use the microphone as well? Thank you very much. QUESTION: Hi. Secretary General, first I would like to ask you (inaudible) – SECRETARY GENERAL BAN: The microphone, please. QUESTION: Sorry. To the Secretary General first, how can you assure to the international community that the money that has been pledged today is going to go to the right hands and not to, as the skeptics say, to – or it’s going to be invested in the wrong things? (Via interpreter) And also, I’d like to ask the co-chair from Spain, do you believe that what was achieved today in the experience in helping Haiti will change the cooperation model worldwide? Thank you. SECRETARY GENERAL BAN: First of all, the Government of Haiti and its donor partners are accountable to the people of Haiti to be transparent and effective and accountable. And Haitian Government are also accountable to the international community, and international community are also accountable to Haitian Government and people. We have agreed to a robust internet-based tracking system to report on the delivery of the assistance and an emphasis on measuring performance and results. The pledge will be published and assistance flows tracked through a web-based system being established by the United Nations with the current – with the Government of Haiti. As I said in my remarks, the Office of the Special Envoy, President Clinton, and UNDP will be responsible for that. This information will be available to the public and the system was done to improve on past practice and ensure accountability and transparency. What is again more important is that the pledges should be delivered in time so that when the Government of Haiti needs them, they should be able to use it. That’s a mutual accountability. VICE PRESIDENT FERNANDEZ DE LA VEGA: (Via interpreter) I believe that Haiti does have that before and after that it can see now in global international cooperation. And I believe that because I believe we have done a good job. We came to this conference with the preparatory work that involved meetings before that for a diagnosis of the situation and to set needs. There were meetings with the participation not only of institutions and donor countries, but also civil society. We had business people, we had local governments, we had nongovernmental organizations. And with all of that and with the plan as defined by the Government of Haiti, the situation was assessed. And then on that basis, we set a new financial architecture, a new institutional architecture, in order to follow up on the plan. Control, transparency and coordination, and quite honestly, I believe that with these parameters we can move forward in a more effective way with this new global model for international cooperation. MODERATOR: Next, Andy Quinn from Reuters. QUESTION: A question for the Secretary of State Clinton. Madam Secretary, on Haiti, I’m wondering if you can tell us if Prime Minister Bellerive’s request for 350 million in direct budget support has been covered. And what needs to be done immediately to improve the government’s functions in Haiti. And if you’ll allow me to ask a question on Iran, we understand that the P-5+1 held their conference call today and unanimously agreed that it was time to move on to a new phase discussing possible sanctions on Iran. Can you tell us what was agreed, how soon ambassadors in New York will meet to begin the negotiations, and what this may mean for President Obama’s timeline on bringing a resolution to a vote within weeks? And for Minister Amorim – (laughter) – now that the P-5+1 appears to be ready to start drafting a negotiation even before President Lula goes to Tehran, I’m wondering if you’re still comfortable with Brazil’s position, or do you think that there might be – it might change at some point in the future? SECRETARY GENERAL BAN: Thank you very much for your questions and interest on all very important matters. Now, this press conference is meant for discussing the Haiti Donor Conference; therefore, I would appeal to you that questions should be directed only on Haiti. And one person, one question. (Laughter and applause.) QUESTION: (Inaudible.) SECRETARY CLINTON: I’m sorry, what? QUESTION: The question’s been asked (inaudible) take it now. QUESTION: Can you please answer? SECRETARY CLINTON: Which one of the seven questions should I answer? (Laughter.) No, look, we are working very closely with the Haitian Government on the manner and delivery of the aid that we have committed, as we all are. We are going through the multi donor trust fund. We’re going through bilateral channels. And we will be disclosing and discussing our actions as we move forward. But our commitment is to be as effective, results-oriented, and expeditious as possible. As you know, our commitment is in the supplemental pending before Congress. We want to get that passed as quickly as we can and begin to implement it. On your last question, I think you accurately describe the P-5+1 position. It’s been a unified consultative group for more than a year now and it continues to be unified. And there will be a great deal of further consultation not only among the P-5+1 but other members of the Security Council and other member nations during the next weeks. FOREIGN MINISTER AMORIM: Well, I’ll start if I may responding to another question that had to do with Haiti, which was not put to me, but since I am (inaudible) another question, I’ll mention that. And that question had to do with how can you be sure that the money gets to the right people. And I’m saying that because in Brazil, when we started the huge program of income transfer, many people in the opposition or in the media asked, “How are you sure that the money is getting to the right people?” Well, five years or six years after that, 30 million people were raised out of poverty, so that was the best reply. So this question of being sure or not being sure is very often an excuse for doing nothing. Of course, that does not mean that we should not have the proper mechanisms we will have, but the most important thing is to have the will to help. And this brings concrete results. As to the question that was asked more directly to me on Iran, as you know, we are not part of the P-5 so we are not privy to the discussions that take place among the permanent members. Maybe someday that will change, and then I’ll be able to give you a better answer. (Laughter and applause.) But in the meantime, let me tell you that we are always open to any discussions. Of course, as you know, Brazil is in favor of negotiated solutions, but we are also open to discuss and are open to dialogue with other countries. Thank you. SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I think all the members of the P-5+1, as well as every other member of the United Nations, is open to negotiated solutions. We happen to think that action in the Security Council is part of negotiation and diplomacy that perhaps can get the attention of the Iranian leadership. FOREIGN MINISTER KOUCHNER: And if I may, not only – (laughter) – not only we offered, but we did it. We are talking and talking with the Iranian. We did. (Laughter.) PRESIDENT PREVAL: (Via interpreter) Do I need to develop a nuclear program for Haiti so that we come back to talking about Haiti? (Laughter.) MODERATOR: So the final question, it’ll be a Haitian question and it’s from FM, Scoop FM. QUESTION: (Via interpreter) Thank you very much. I’d like to raise a question which may go against the flow of the question raised by the Agence FE with regard to the assistance. I have a question for Mrs. Hillary Clinton, but it’s a different question. There’s always been a problem in the mechanism for disbursing the funds promised by donors, because often the funds that are promised are not actually provided. So what can the guarantees – what guarantees can be given by Secretary of State to the Government of Haiti so that we do end corruption and that the money actually reaches the people? The second question is to the president of the republic, Mr. Preval. Your Excellency, what decisions will be taken by the government immediately in Port-au-Prince following this conference on the basis of what’s been decided at this conference? Thank you. SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, first let me say that we have applied the lessons that have been learned from recent experiences, most particularly what happened after the tsunami, where I think there is general agreement that under United Nations leadership the money collected was very much held accountable and results were delivered. We are trying to do even better. One of the reasons we are posting all of the pledges on the web is so that everyone can see what countries and institutions have pledged. And we’re going to ensure that those who have pledged will deliver on their commitments. And we have set up the multi donor trust fund. The Government of Haiti has set up an intermediate mechanism for 18 months. And we have taken very careful, thoughtful steps among the Government of Haiti, the United Nations, and the rest of us to ensure that the people of Haiti benefit from these extraordinary commitments of generosity from the people around the world. PRESIDENT PREVAL: (Via interpreter) Thank you, Gary. Well, when we arrive, we will reassure the population with regard to what took place here in this conference. The conference was prepared, as Mrs. Clinton has just said, by hundreds of people who worked in the background. And this was – this is an opportunity now for me to thank all those people, but also to thank, on behalf of Haiti, Prime Minister Mr. Bellerive, who was responsible for ensuring what was achieved this afternoon. Once again, we need to explain to the various parties in the civil society and the people in general what is in question, what is the program, what is the vision, what – and what way the funds will be spent. Someone asked a moment ago whether budgetary support is included in this package. That will depend on those who have made the pledge. It will depend on the donor. If there are parties which will provide support to the budget, then that part will be managed by the Haitian Government and will be part of the republic’s national budget. If what is pledged as a contribution is not targeted for the budget of the republic, then it will be part of the multi donor trust fund and it will be managed by the World Bank. The Haitian Government will propose projects to that structure which is to be created, and the implementation of projects, the financial control will be ensured by the World Bank, and there will be a supervisory body for the entire operation. So first of all, we must continue to explain what this is all about, how it will function, what part of the budget will go to the national budget, and what part will be used on the basis of projects to be proposed by the Haitian Government. And I said a moment ago that we must play our role. It’s not just enough to submit projects without consulting other people, nor will it be a question of submitting the ideas for some projects. We must quickly ensure that the government establishes accelerated processes to study projects, to examine them, to ensure that they can be implemented. So we have an enormous task ahead of us. All those who believe that the consultation was not broad enough, allow me to remind them that this was a disaster. There are people who are living in their streets. This two and a half months has gone by and we’ve had Montreal, we’ve had Madrid, we’ve had the Dominican Republic conference. Many measures have been taken. And I can assure you that all this was an enormous task. And once again, this is an opportunity for me to thank all those who may not be present here with us this afternoon, but they did work very, very hard to ensure that this conference took place, and to make this success possible. Thanks again. Thank you once again. (Applause.) MODERATOR: Thank you, Mr. President. This was a day for multilateral diplomacy and a day for multilateral questions. We’re out of time. Thank you very much.
31 March 2010
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Clinton Remarks at International Donors' Conference on Haiti
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Office of the Spokesman March 31, 2010 REMARKS Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton At the International Donors' Conference Towards a New Future for Haiti March 31, 2010 United Nations Headquarters New York, New York SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you very much, Secretary General, and thank you for your leadership and your personal commitment to this international endeavor. President Preval, to you and the members of your government, we thank you for the extraordinary work that you have done leading up to this point. To former President Clinton, with whom I first went to Haiti many years ago about two months after we were married, thank you for taking on another assignment from the Secretary General. And to all of the countries and international institutions represented here, thank you. Thank you for the immediate response to the overwhelming catastrophe that afflicted the Haitian people and thank you for your continuing commitment. We have had over 140 nations working to support the Government of Haiti in delivering food, temporary shelter, and medical care to thousands of survivors. But the emergency relief is only the beginning of what will be a long road to recovery, as the Secretary General just pointed out; one that will require global support. Some people wonder, “Why Haiti? Why this great outpouring of international humanitarian concern and commitment to Haiti’s future? Why is Haiti’s fate of such consequence to the region and the world that it deserves sustained help? Why should we hope that this time, with our collective assistance, Haiti can achieve a better future?” These are questions that deserve answers and I believe that this conference will begin to do so. The humanitarian need, we know, is great. Therefore, as fellow human beings, we respond from a position of conscience and morality to help those who, but for the grace of God, we could be in a world where natural disasters are often unpredictable, inflicting great costs. Haiti was a country of 9 million people before the earthquake. Today, more than a quarter of a million of those people have died. More than a million are homeless. Hundreds of thousands live in temporary camps without enough food or sufficient access to sanitation. Nearly every government agency has been destroyed along with universities, hospitals, and primary schools, which we know are the foundations to a nation’s long-term progress. Close to a million young people were preparing to enter the job market within five years. Now their opportunities have crumbled while the need for jobs has multiplied. Before the earthquake, Haiti was on a path to progress. The government, led by President Preval, had started enacting critical reforms. Haiti’s economy grew by nearly 3 percent last year. Two international chains launched new hotels, a sign of a rising tourism industry. New factories were opening and others had been contracted to begin production. But with the earthquake, the results of much of this hard work were wiped away. But the people of Haiti never gave up. As they mourn their losses, they gathered the resources they had left and began working around the clock to put their lives and their country back together. They relied on the strength and the spirit that have carried them through tough times before. But they need our help. They cannot succeed without the support of the global community, and we need Haiti to succeed. What happens there has repercussions far beyond its borders. There are two paths that lie before us. If Haiti can build safe homes, its citizens can escape many of the dangers they now face and return to more normal lives. If Haiti can realize broad-based, sustainable economic growth, it can create opportunity across the country beyond Port-au-Prince so Haitians don’t have to move to their capital or leave their country to find work. If Haiti can build strong health and education systems, it can give its people the tools they need to contribute to their nation’s progress and fulfill their own God-given potentials. If Haiti can create strong, transparent, accountable institutions, it can establish the credibility, trust, and stability its people have long-deserved. And if Haiti can do all of those things with our help, it will become an engine for progress and prosperity generating opportunity and fostering greater stability for itself and for countries throughout the hemisphere and beyond. But there is another path that Haiti could take, a path that demands far less of Haiti and far less of us. If the effort to rebuild is slow or insufficient, if it is marked by conflict, lack of coordination, or lack of transparency, then the challenges that have plagued Haiti for years could erupt with regional and global consequences. Before the earthquake, migration drained Haiti of many talented citizens, many of whom live in our country. If new jobs and opportunity do not emerge, even more people will leave. Before the earthquake, quality healthcare was a challenge for Haiti. Now, it is needed even more urgently. Haiti has the highest rate of tuberculosis in the hemisphere, the highest rate of HIV, the highest rates of infant, child, and maternal mortality, one of the highest rates of child malnutrition. And with the public health system now shattered, those numbers will climb. The lack of sanitation services could cause outbreaks of lethal illnesses. And the lack of reliable medical services could give rise to new drug-resistant strains of disease that will soon cross borders. Before the earthquake, hunger was a problem for Haiti. Years of deforestation had stripped the land of its rich topsoil and people struggled to grow or purchase enough food to feed their families. The riots over food that broke out in 2008 toppled Haiti’s government. Now, food is even more scarce, and people more desperate. Before the earthquake, security was a challenge for Haiti, and a United Nations peacekeeping mission, MINUSTAH, helped promote the rule of law. Now the dedicated UN workers in Haiti have suffered terrible losses. So have the Haitian National Police, which were building their ranks and their capacity. With so much destruction and dislocation, security is even more tenuous. Drug trafficking is a half a billion dollar a year industry in Haiti. It thrives on political and social instability. Trafficking in human beings is also rampant. Tens of thousands of children are trafficked in Haiti every year, and now even more are vulnerable. Now, each of these problems directly affects the people of Haiti, but they indirectly affect us all. And if they worsen, it is not only the people of Haiti who will suffer. Yet I have great confidence in the resilience of the people of Haiti. Their history has tested them and now they are being tested again. So are Haiti’s leaders, in whom I also have great confidence. So we are called to do better than we have in the past. Many countries here have helped Haiti in the past. Many NGOs have helped Haiti in the past. We cannot do what we’ve done before. The leaders of Haiti must take responsibility for their country’s reconstruction. They must make the tough decisions that guide a strong, accountable, and transparent recovery. And that is what they are starting to do with the creation of a new mechanism that provides coordination and consultation so aid can be directed where it is most needed. And we in the global community, we must also do things differently. It will be tempting to fall back on old habits – to work around the government rather than to work with them as partners, or to fund a scattered array of well-meaning projects rather than making the deeper, long-term investments that Haiti needs now. We cannot retreat to failed strategies. I know we’ve heard these imperatives before – the need to coordinate our aid, hold ourselves accountable, share our knowledge, track results. But now, we cannot just declare our intentions. We have to follow through and put them into practice. Therefore, this is not only a conference about what financially we pledge to Haiti. We also have to pledge our best efforts to do better ourselves – to offer our support in a smarter way, a more effective way that produces real results for the people of Haiti. So let us say here, with one voice, we will pass this test for us. To that end, the United States pledges 1.15 billion for Haiti’s long-term recovery and reconstruction. This money will go toward supporting the Government of Haiti’s plan to strengthen agriculture, energy, health, security, and governance. We are committed to working with the people and organizations throughout Haiti, including civil society groups, private businesses, NGOs, and citizens. And I’m very glad to see so many of them represented here today. We will also be looking for ways to engage our Haitian diaspora. Haitian Americans have much to contribute to this effort. And we will seek specifically to empower the women of Haiti. I’ve said this so many times that I know I sound like a broken record, but investing in women is the best investment we can make in any country. And investing in the Haitian women will fuel the long-term economic recovery and progress, not only for them, but for their families. Over the years, all of our countries have learned many lessons, particularly from the tsunami that the United Nations was instrumental in leading the response to. Now, we must put those lessons to work in Haiti. I’m very excited and very committed on behalf of President Obama, the Government of the United States, and the people of the United States to help Haiti and to help the leaders of Haiti lead a recovery effort worthy of their highest hopes. Thank you so much, Secretary General. (Applause.)
31 March 2010
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Article
Donors Envision National Renewal for Haiti
From left, Secretary Clinton, U.N. Secretary-General Ban and Haitian President Préval listen as Bill Clinton speaks at the conference.By Merle David Kellerhals Jr.Staff Writer Washington — Haitian President René Préval provided an international donors’ conference with a $3.9 billion post-earthquake reconstruction plan to begin the initial work of rebuilding the small Caribbean nation — the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. And international donors responded with $9.9 billion in pledges, which includes more than $5.3 billion for the first two years of reconstruction. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced the pledges at the conclusion of the daylong donors’ conference at U.N. headquarters in New York March 31. Earlier in the day, Ban told donors that he envisions a “wholesale national renewal” for the Haitian people. He said reconstruction must move in tandem with emergency relief and urged donors to provide further support to the revised humanitarian appeal for Haiti. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton praised the United Nations for its indispensable coordination in the aftermath of the January 12 earthquake that struck Haiti. According to the Haitian action plan Préval presented to the donors, “rebuilding Haiti does not mean returning to the situation that prevailed before the earthquake. It means addressing all these areas of vulnerability, so that the vagaries of nature or natural disasters never again inflict such suffering or cause so much damage and loss.” The plan is directed at spending the initial outlay of nearly $4 billion of the $11.5 billion being sought by the United Nations for specific projects through the newly created Interim Haiti Recovery Commission during the next 18 months. “What we envision, today, is wholesale national renewal. A sweeping exercise in nation-building on a scale and scope not seen in generations,” Ban told delegates from nearly 130 nations gathered in New York. The total value of damage and losses sustained has been set at approximately $7 billion, according to the U.N. Development Programme. But economists at the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) conducted a preliminary study of the damages (PDF, 240KB) and estimated that it would take approximately $8 billion to $14 billion over a decade to rebuild the island nation. Secretary Clinton told the donors’ conference the United States was committed to $1.15 billion for helping in the rebuilding of Haiti. Haiti was struck by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake on January 12 that killed an estimated 230,000 people and displaced nearly 3 million in the nation of about 9 million Haitians. The earthquake destroyed more than 105,000 homes, 50 hospitals and health centers, 1,300 school and university buildings and the National Palace, parliament and most government buildings in the capital city Port-au-Prince. Port-au-Prince is the center of the nation’s government, commerce and economy. The European Union pledged $1.6 billion and Brazil pledged $172 million. Spain pledged 346 million Euros for the donor fund for reconstruction, and 121.5 million will be given this year, followed by increments of 75 million in 2011 and an additional 74.5 million in 2013 with more to follow, said María Teresa Fernández de la Vega, the first vice president of Spain. “This is aid that will go as a matter of priority to the government of Haiti according to its priorities — water and sanitation, education, basic living standards, environmental sustainability, food security, agriculture and primary production,” Fernández said. Inter-American Development Bank President Luis Alberto Moreno said the bank would make $200 million a year in grants to Haiti for the next 10 years at no cost to the Haitian government, and the bank will provide debt relief to Haiti “in an amount close to $500 million.” World Bank President Robert Zoellick said there needs to be a division of labor among international agencies to avoid duplication of effort. He also called for another meeting in six months, coinciding with the annual high-level debate of the U.N. General Assembly in September to assess progress. “This can be our accountability report to the people of Haiti,” Zoellick said. Dominique Strauss-Kahn, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, told delegates that Haiti likely will see annual growth of 8 percent over the next five years during the initial reconstruction phase, but only if “we really have Haitian authorities in the driver’s seat.” CONFERENCE SPONSORS The ministerial-level conference was jointly sponsored by the United States and the United Nations in cooperation with the Haitian government, and also with the support of Brazil, Canada, the European Union, France and Spain. It is being called the “International Donors’ Conference Towards a New Future for Haiti.” The Dominican Republic, which is Haiti’s nearest neighbor, hosted an international conference of high-level technical donors March 16–17 to evaluate the economic consequences of the earthquake. And on March 22, the IADB agreed to forgive $479 million of the country’s $1.2 billion in foreign debt. Former U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, at the request of President Obama, are spearheading international efforts to raise funds for Haitian relief. They met with President Préval on the grounds of the damaged National Palace in Port-au-Prince March 22 to help focus attention on the need for long-term reconstruction funding for Haiti. The nonprofit Clinton Bush Haiti Fund has raised approximately $37 million for Haitian relief. Obama has personally donated $200,000 to the Haiti Fund from his Nobel Peace Prize award. The IADB said it would provide approximately $2 billion in new financing to Haiti over the next decade. The Group of Seven nations — Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States — also announced in early February that it would cancel Haiti’s bilateral debt. The World Bank’s board approved a $65 million project to support the recovery of Haiti’s critical infrastructure as well as the re-establishment of basic state functions. It is part of a $100 million emergency grant announced by the World Bank right after the earthquake.
31 March 2010
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Article
U.S. Offers $1.15 Billion for Haitian Recovery
Secretary Clinton praised the resilience of the Haitian people but said they need effective international assistance to recover.By Stephen KaufmanStaff Writer Washington — International assistance for Haiti is essential not only for its long-term recovery from the January 12 earthquake, but also to address cross-border challenges, such as economic migration, human and drug trafficking, and drug-resistant disease, resulting from the country’s continued impoverishment, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said. In remarks at the opening of an international donor’s conference for Haiti in New York March 31, Clinton announced a $1.15 billion pledge of U.S. assistance for the country. Haitian President René Préval has set a target of $3.8 billion to meet his country’s needs for the next 18 months. “This money will go toward supporting the government of Haiti’s plan to strengthen agriculture, energy, health, security and governance,” Clinton said, as well as for cooperation with civil-society groups, private businesses, nongovernmental organizations and Haitian citizens. She added that U.S. assistance will also seek to empower Haitian women, which “will fuel the long-term economic recovery and progress not only for them but for their families.” Clinton said the earthquake had wiped out the results of recent reform efforts that had caused Haiti’s economy to grow 3 percent in 2009 and generated new job opportunities. But “the people of Haiti never gave up,” she said. Clinton expressed her confidence in their continued resilience and Haiti’s leadership. Haiti cannot recover on its own, and the international community now faces a choice of helping the country become “an engine for progress and prosperity,” or watching its economic, health and infrastructure challenges continue to create misery that will affect not only the Haitian people, but also the global community, she said. “The lack of sanitation services could cause outbreaks of lethal illnesses, and the lack of reliable medical services could give rise to new drug-resistant strains of disease that will soon cross borders,” she said. Drug trafficking and human trafficking, already thriving in tenuous security conditions, will “indirectly affect us all.” Although Haiti has received international assistance in the past, “we cannot do what we’ve done before,” Clinton said. Haiti’s government must guide a “strong, accountable and transparent recovery,” and donors must “offer our support in a smarter way” through long-term investments in partnership with the government, which will be more effective than “a scattered array of well-meaning projects.” “Let us say here with one voice: We will pass this test,” Clinton told fellow donors. President Préval thanked the conference for the rapidly mobilized assistance that materialized from all over the world following the disaster. He said the Haitian people had been deeply touched “by this movement of solidarity and compassion.” He also called for a United Nations emergency force that could quickly deploy in response to natural disasters anywhere in the world. Préval made a special appeal for assistance in the area of education, which he said is “the prerequisite for development.” He said 38 percent of Haitians above the age of 15 are illiterate, 25 percent of school-age children are not enrolled, and those who are in school do not have the resources available to develop genuine life skills. This left the country unprepared to adequately respond to the disaster, he said. “The earthquake clearly demonstrated this social fracture,” he said, and Haitian society “can no longer tolerate” the situation and must repair it “as rapidly as possible.” He envisioned a renewed country as a center of knowledge that celebrates its cultural and linguistic diversity, stemming from its French, English and African past, where all Haitians can provide for their own welfare and receive assistance from qualified individuals. “Let us dream of a new Haiti whose fate lies in a new society without exclusion, that has overcome hunger, in which all have access to decent shelter, health provided according to their needs, quality education,” where its people can contribute toward the good of all mankind, Préval said. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon opened the conference by welcoming a “concrete, specific and ambitious” plan developed by Haitian and international officials to build a “new Haiti” with better schools and health services, and better options for its people than choosing between unemployment and migration. The plan calls for a trust fund to determine how to spend aid money and a commission to oversee reconstruction work, such as rebuilding schools, hospitals and government offices, as well as returning farms to production and other job creation efforts. Along with continued emergency assistance, especially for shelter as Haiti copes with its rainy season, Ban estimated that the country will need $11.5 billion over the next 10 years.
31 March 2010
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Article
U.S. Offers $1.15 Billion for Haitian Recovery
By Stephen KaufmanStaff Writer Washington — International assistance for Haiti is essential not only for its long-term recovery from the January 12 earthquake, but also to address cross-border challenges resulting from the country’s continued impoverishment, such as economic migration, human and drug trafficking, and drug-resistant disease, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said. In remarks at the opening of the international donor’s conference for Haiti in New York March 31, Clinton announced a $1.15 billion pledge of U.S. assistance for the country. Haitian President René Préval has set a target of $3.8 billion to meet his country’s needs for the next 18 months. “This money will go toward supporting the government of Haiti’s plan to strengthen agriculture, energy, health, security and governance,” Clinton said, as well as for cooperation with civil-society groups, private businesses, nongovernmental organizations and Haitian citizens. She added that U.S. assistance will also seek to empower Haitian women, which “will fuel the long-term economic recovery and progress not only for them but for their families.” Clinton noted that the earthquake had wiped out the results of recent reform efforts that had caused Haiti’s economy to grow 3 percent in 2009 and generated new job opportunities. But “the people of Haiti never gave up,” she said. Clinton expressed her confidence in their continued resilience and Haiti’s leadership. Haiti cannot recover on its own, and the international community now faces a choice of helping the country become “an engine for progress and prosperity,” or watching its economic, health and infrastructure challenges continue to create misery that will affect not only the Haitian people, but also the global community, she said. “The lack of sanitation services could cause outbreaks of lethal illnesses, and the lack of reliable medical services could give rise to new drug-resistant strains of disease that will soon cross borders,” she said. Drug trafficking and human trafficking, already thriving on tenuous security conditions, will “indirectly affect us all.” Although Haiti has received international assistance in the past, “we cannot do what we’ve done before,” Clinton said. Haiti’s government must guide a “strong, accountable and transparent recovery,” and donors must “offer our support in a smarter way” through long-term investments in partnership with the government, which will be more effective than “a scattered array of well-meaning projects.” “Let us say here with one voice: We will pass this test,” Clinton told fellow donors. President Préval thanked the conference for the rapidly mobilized assistance that materialized from all over the world following the disaster. He said the Haitian people had been deeply touched “by this movement of solidarity and compassion.” He also called for a United Nations emergency force that could quickly deploy in response to natural disasters all over the world. Préval made a special appeal for assistance in the area of education, which he said is “the prerequisite for development.” He noted that 38 percent of Haitians above the age of 15 are illiterate, 25 percent of school-age children are not enrolled, and those who are in school do not have the resources available to develop genuine life skills. This left the country unprepared to adequately respond to the disaster, he said. “The earthquake clearly demonstrated this social fracture,” he said, and Haitian society “can no longer tolerate” the situation and must repair it “as rapidly as possible.” He envisioned a renewed country as a center of knowledge that celebrates its cultural and linguistic diversity, stemming from its French, English and African past, where all Haitians can provide for their own welfare and receive assistance from qualified individuals. “Let us dream of a new Haiti whose fate lies in a new society without exclusion, that has overcome hunger, in which all have access to decent shelter, health provided according to their needs, quality education,” where its people can contribute toward the good of all mankind, Préval said. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon opened the conference by welcoming a “concrete, specific and ambitious” plan developed by Haitian and international officials to build a “new Haiti” with better schools and health services, and better options for its people than choosing between unemployment and migration. The plan calls for a trust fund to determine how to spend aid money and a commission to oversee reconstruction work, such as rebuilding schools, hospitals and government offices, as well as returning farms to production and other job creation efforts. Along with continued emergency assistance, especially for shelter as Haiti copes with its rainy season, Ban estimated that the country will need $11.5 billion over the next 10 years.
31 March 2010
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Article
Remarks by Secretary Clinton After Haiti Donors Conference
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Office of the Spokesman March 31, 2010 REMARKS Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton After the Haiti Donors Conference March 31, 2010 Washington, D.C. SECRETARY GENERAL BAN: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, excellencies, your colleagues. Today, the international community has come together dramatically in solidarity with Haiti and its people. President Preval’s rendezvous with history has come to pass. By their actions this day, the friends of Haiti have acted far beyond the expectation. We can report very good news. The member states of the United Nations and international partners have pledged 5.3 U.S. dollars for the next two years and $9.9 billion in total for the next three years and beyond. (Applause.) Today, the United Nations are united for Haiti. The international community has acted unanimously and for the long term. This is the down payment Haiti needs for wholesale national renewal. It is the way to building back better. Now, it comes down to implementation – delivery on our promises, transparency, and accountability. We must make sure Haiti gets the money it needs when it needs it. And we must guarantee that it is well-coordinated and well-spent. I want to thank, once again, international community for their extraordinary generosity. This is international solidarity in action. I also want to thank co-host Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the five co-chairs present here for the successful outcome. My special appreciation should go to Special Envoy President Bill Clinton. He’ll be working with UN agencies and, of course, the Government of Haiti in tracking these resources and following through. The plight of these people requires immediate action, and we are all painfully aware of the difficult living conditions in the camps, and in particular, reports of sexual violence against women and children. Very soon, I will dispatch the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations to Haiti to survey the situation in the camps, assess the steps taken, and explore areas for further action. Today, we have mobilized to give Haiti and its people what they need most – hope for a new future. We have made a good start. We need now to deliver. Thank you very much, and I invite the Secretary of State, then President Preval. Thank you very much. SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you very much, Secretary General, and I want to express great appreciation to the Secretary General and to the United Nations. The United Nations itself suffered grievous losses in Haiti, but from the first hours of the disaster, it pulled together to provide indispensible global coordination. And I know for the Secretary General, this is a deeply felt, personal commitment, so thank you, sir. SECRETARY GENERAL BAN: Thank you very much. SECRETARY CLINTON: And I want to also express great appreciation for the efforts of President Preval and the Haitian Government. As we’ve heard many times today, under the most difficult circumstances, with their ministries in ruin, with people having lost houses, family members, with ministers unable to even know who was left in their offices, the government worked very hard to meet the needs of its people and to begin planning for the future. President Preval, thank you for your steadfast commitment to Haiti’s future. And I want to thank our co-chairs – Brazil, Canada, the European Union, France, and Spain – for their tremendous support. This has been a real team effort. You see the people up here, but literally behind us have been the hundreds and hundreds of people in the UN, in Haiti, in our governments, in the EU, other multilateral institutions who have done the hard work to bring about this successful day of commitment and solidarity. Today, 48 countries, multilateral institutions, and a coalition of NGOs have pledged nearly $10 billion toward the long-term reconstruction efforts in Haiti. Now, that is an impressive sum by any standard. But even more critically, of this amount, more than $5 billion has been raised for the first 18 months of Haiti’s reconstruction. This far exceeds the 3.9 billion that the Haitians identified as their minimum need for this time period. This money has been pledged by a diverse community of nations – from Brazil, of course, to the other co-hosts, but also Mali and Montenegro, Kuwait, the nations of CARICOM and so many more. All of the countries and their pledges will be on the website for this conference. Now, to put this effort in perspective, after the 2004 tsunami, more than 80 countries provided immediate humanitarian assistance, and more than 20 countries pledged assistance for reconstruction. As of today, more than 140 countries have provided humanitarian assistance to Haiti and nearly 50 countries have made pledges of support for Haiti’s rebuilding. This signals a new level of global commitment, coordination, and cooperation. Today, the Government of Haiti presented its reconstruction plan. We heard from Prime Minister Bellerive a roadmap for building a new Haiti, a Haiti with a vibrant private sector, accountable and effective government institutions, and international partners that would be working with Haiti, not separate and apart from Haiti. This plan represents a renewed commitment by the Haitian Government to define needs and priorities, to step up accountability and transparency, and to improve delivery of services. All of us are committed to this process, but no one has more at stake than the Haitian people. And I was very pleased that our conference today included their voices as well – members of civil society and of the private sector and others who responded to focus groups and made sure that their needs were known to all of us. We have the chance not only to contribute to Haiti’s progress but to demonstrate that the international community can achieve a new level of effectiveness and impact to test new approaches, use new technologies, engage one another to build stronger ties between our countries and peoples. Aid is important, but aid has never saved a country. Our goal must be the empowerment of the Haitian people. They are the ones who will carry on the work of rebuilding Haiti long after our involvement has ended. Haiti does not only need medicines and surgeries, but it needs the doctors and nurses who can deliver the regular care and sustain a thriving health system. Haiti not only needs new school buildings, but it needs teachers and administrators. It needs the people of Haiti to be given the tools to be able to deliver on the promise of their own future. I’m very proud that the United States has played a role in this, but it has been, as I said at the beginning, a team effort. Since January 12th, the United States has provided already more than $930 million in assistance. The money that we pledged today, more than a billion dollars, will go toward reconstruction and multilateral debt relief. And we’re looking forward to the establishment of the multi donor trust fund. We’re going to be led by the core principles we laid out in the Montreal in January at the conference convened by the Canadian Government. Reconstruction will be Haitian-led, inclusive, accountable, transparent, coordinated, and results-oriented. So, Secretary General, this has been a good day, a good day for Haiti, a good day for the United Nations, but also a good day for the international community, which has demonstrated our ability to rise to a challenge of the scope and significance of that posed by the disaster in Haiti, and to demonstrate that the people of the world are united in our efforts to help build that better future. Thank you. (Applause.) SECRETARY GENERAL BAN: Thank you very much. Mr. President. PRESIDENT PREVAL: (Via interpreter) Mr. Secretary General, Secretary of State, my dear friends, co-chairs of this conference, first of all, Secretary General, allow me once again to express my condolences to the United Nations family for the major losses that were suffered, and particularly the deaths of Hedi Annabi and Mr. da Costa, and all those who were with them on that day. I’d also like to express my condolences to all those countries who suffered losses on that day, the 12th of January. Thank you for the spontaneous response in coming to the assistance of Haiti in the first moments following the disaster. Today, it has been demonstrated that the international community will continue to support Haiti over the long term and it will meet the needs that this disaster has caused. And the figures clearly show the losses. Now the contributions have been made both by small countries, small contributions, and also major contributions by larger countries. This is a heartfelt effort and it demonstrates that Haiti is not on its own. And we express on behalf of Haitian people, thank you. The international community has done its part. The Haitian people today must now do their part. First, they must continue that process which will make this – these millions available, and that is to – the review and ratification by the parliament of that law which will allow this process to continue. And it’s our hope, given the urgency of the situation, that this will be done as soon as possible. The Secretary of State has just pointed out that the assistance is – assistance is not development, but it does prepare the ground for development. We need investment in the private sector in Haiti, both within Haiti and also from the diaspora and also foreign investment. The Haitian people must play their role also in this respect by ensuring that investors will enjoy political stability and clear legal rules governing those investments. We must take advantage of this opportunity that we now have and I appeal to my fellow Haitians to understand the effort that has now been made by the international community and the responsibility that we now have in the interest of our country to respond rapidly and appropriately. Thank you, Secretary of State. Thank you, Secretary General. Thank you, my dear friends, for being willing to help the people of Haiti. And once again, thank you very much. (Applause.) SECRETARY GENERAL BAN: Thank you. And Mr. President, I’d like to invite the co-chairs to say, one by one, starting from foreign minister of Brazil, very briefly – very briefly. (Laughter.) FOREIGN MINISTER AMORIM: Thank you, Mr. Secretary General. If you’ll say once more very briefly, I better stay silent. (Laughter.) But I’ll be very brief indeed. I think I already said what I had to say in my speech in the morning and I don’t want to repeat. I just want to say this really is a historic date for Haiti, certainly, but also for the UN. I mean, we very often hear outside this building “What’s the use of the UN? What are you all talking about?” Here, you have a concrete reply to this question so often made and which sometimes have – difficult to answer. Now, we have this concrete answer. But it’s a historic date also for Haiti, because as someone said, it’s – in a way, Haiti is proclaiming its second independence. The first one, Toussaint Louverture, had to fight with the forces of the moment and had a high price to pay. This time, it’s the country. It’s the independence with the support of the international community. And we all have to be very happy for that. Two quick ideas which I will mention and which already were in my speech, but I want to mention once again: You don’t have real economic development if you don’t have markets. So I want to insist if we want, really, to help Haiti, not to be dependent on charity, but really to develop – let us try to open markets to Haiti. Let us give duty-free, quota-free to Haitian products with preferential rules of origin. Those who know trade know what that means and know how important it will be for investment in textile and some other – so many areas which President Clinton, among others, have mentioned. Second idea: Let us make of this tragic 12th of January the universal date of solidarity. That’s not only symbolic, not only rhetoric, but it’s to remind us for the next few years that we still have a job to perform, that the job of solidarity is not only exhausted today; it has to be repeated in the surveillance of the implementation of what we decided today. So these are the two things. I think I was brief enough. Thank you very much. (Applause.) FOREIGN MINISTER CANNON: Thank you. I’m, as well, heartened by the enthusiasm, the passion, and the commitment demonstrated by the international community here today. Haiti’s family and global support network has grown sustainability – I’m sorry, substantially. The seeds that we planted in Montreal – the Montreal principles less than three months ago – are now beginning to emerge. We have come in solidarity, we have given generously, and now, we expect results. As donors, we have set a high bar for our own coordination and we have committed to be transparent and accountable. For their part, we have heard from the Haitians, from the president, from the prime minister, we’ve heard from the Haitian civil society that they accept the need for real change in their country, and to address longstanding impediments in inequalities that have limited the progress of their people and their nation. What is needed to move forward is not merely political stability, but a strong, unified, national political consensus. (Via interpreter) If this commitment is to be met and sustained, if we can continue to target our priorities, then every dollar invested wisely and in an effective way, then we can fulfill our commitments to the people of Haiti to ensure a better future for them and their children. We’ve made considerable progress in order to build upon the current trend towards assisting Haiti. And today, we’ve reached a major stage on the long path ahead of us. Now, we must rapidly achieve results. Thank you. (Applause.) MS. ASHTON: In 35 seconds, 235,000 people perished, 300,000 people were injured, and 1 million people became homeless. The United Nations and international organizations lost people who were there dedicated to provide a better future for Haiti. Remembering all that, I want to pay tribute to the 27 members of the European Union and to the institutions who have committed themselves to supporting this effort today – an effort that I believe is engaged in producing an economic future for all the people of Haiti, and especially for the children, some of whom I was privileged in my visit to meet. Mr. President, this is only the beginning, but I think everyone here is committed to support you to the end of this process. (Applause.) FOREIGN MINISTER KOUCHNER: (Via interpreter) On some occasions, we can be proud to be a part of the international community, sometimes. But we also wonder why it’s always in the face of a disaster that we respond so well. Alfred de Musset say that nothing makes us as great as a great suffering the feels of disaster of those that are the most beautiful. Why do we always come together when a disaster occurs? That’s the question that I ask myself. I believe that we all felt on that 12th of January that we were all Haitians, all of us. And today, we continue to be Haitians. What has changed, as the prime ministers just told me, is the development paradigm. So I congratulate you also on changing the development paradigm. We’re not just satisfied with – and we’ve all been humanitarian workers in Haiti. What has changed now is that the Haitian people have taken the decision to assume responsibility for their own future. Thank you, Secretary General, President. Thank you all. This was a collective endeavor and we enjoyed working together. Thank you, Prime Minister. Thank you. (Applause.) VICE PRESIDENT FERNANDEZ DE LA VEGA SANZ: (Via interpreter) I would like to join others and thank the Secretary General of the United Nations and the Secretary of State of the United States for organizing this conference. This day of work, and as you have seen, it has been most fruitful. There is no doubt. As has been said, today is an important day. It’s an important day for the people of Haiti and the whole world. We have taken a new step with that commitment for reconstruction of Haiti that started with the Santo Domingo conference, continued in Montreal, and today, we have turned it into figures. The figures might be seen as cold, as some people say. They are not. These are figures that speak to us of solidarity, of peoples and nations, of the whole planet. This is an important day today. It is important because you can see the before and after in international political cooperation. I am convinced now that we have started that commitment so that donors can not only speak out with gifts and donations, but also as soon as possible. This will mean tangible reality for the Haitian people. Spain welcomes the development of this conference. This conference has not only shown great economic results, but it also set a new financial institutional architecture, and the United Nations will ensure transparency and monitoring over implementation of reconstruction projects. The challenge, ladies and gentlemen, is an important one. Difficulty is an excuse, though, that this world and the future do not accept. Today, peoples of all continents and from the whole planet have signed a statement, a pledge for the future of Haiti. It is the determination of the Government of Spain that we make sure that this is a declaration for a better world. Thank you. (Applause.) MODERATOR: We have time for three questions. When you ask your question, please could I ask you to say to whom the question is addressed? The first is EFE. Please, could you use the microphone as well? Thank you very much. QUESTION: Hi. Secretary General, first I would like to ask you (inaudible) – SECRETARY GENERAL BAN: The microphone, please. QUESTION: Sorry. To the Secretary General first, how can you assure to the international community that the money that has been pledged today is going to go to the right hands and not to, as the skeptics say, to – or it’s going to be invested in the wrong things? (Via interpreter) And also, I’d like to ask the co-chair from Spain, do you believe that what was achieved today in the experience in helping Haiti will change the cooperation model worldwide? Thank you. SECRETARY GENERAL BAN: First of all, the Government of Haiti and its donor partners are accountable to the people of Haiti to be transparent and effective and accountable. And Haitian Government are also accountable to the international community, and international community are also accountable to Haitian Government and people. We have agreed to a robust internet-based tracking system to report on the delivery of the assistance and an emphasis on measuring performance and results. The pledge will be published and assistance flows tracked through a web-based system being established by the United Nations with the current – with the Government of Haiti. As I said in my remarks, the Office of the Special Envoy, President Clinton, and UNDP will be responsible for that. This information will be available to the public and the system was done to improve on past practice and ensure accountability and transparency. What is again more important is that the pledges should be delivered in time so that when the Government of Haiti needs them, they should be able to use it. That’s a mutual accountability. VICE PRESIDENT FERNANDEZ DE LA VEGA: (Via interpreter) I believe that Haiti does have that before and after that it can see now in global international cooperation. And I believe that because I believe we have done a good job. We came to this conference with the preparatory work that involved meetings before that for a diagnosis of the situation and to set needs. There were meetings with the participation not only of institutions and donor countries, but also civil society. We had business people, we had local governments, we had nongovernmental organizations. And with all of that and with the plan as defined by the Government of Haiti, the situation was assessed. And then on that basis, we set a new financial architecture, a new institutional architecture, in order to follow up on the plan. Control, transparency and coordination, and quite honestly, I believe that with these parameters we can move forward in a more effective way with this new global model for international cooperation. MODERATOR: Next, Andy Quinn from Reuters. QUESTION: A question for the Secretary of State Clinton. Madam Secretary, on Haiti, I’m wondering if you can tell us if Prime Minister Bellerive’s request for 350 million in direct budget support has been covered. And what needs to be done immediately to improve the government’s functions in Haiti. And if you’ll allow me to ask a question on Iran, we understand that the P-5+1 held their conference call today and unanimously agreed that it was time to move on to a new phase discussing possible sanctions on Iran. Can you tell us what was agreed, how soon ambassadors in New York will meet to begin the negotiations, and what this may mean for President Obama’s timeline on bringing a resolution to a vote within weeks? And for Minister Amorim – (laughter) – now that the P-5+1 appears to be ready to start drafting a negotiation even before President Lula goes to Tehran, I’m wondering if you’re still comfortable with Brazil’s position, or do you think that there might be – it might change at some point in the future? SECRETARY GENERAL BAN: Thank you very much for your questions and interest on all very important matters. Now, this press conference is meant for discussing the Haiti Donor Conference; therefore, I would appeal to you that questions should be directed only on Haiti. And one person, one question. (Laughter and applause.) QUESTION: (Inaudible.) SECRETARY CLINTON: I’m sorry, what? QUESTION: The question’s been asked (inaudible) take it now. QUESTION: Can you please answer? SECRETARY CLINTON: Which one of the seven questions should I answer? (Laughter.) No, look, we are working very closely with the Haitian Government on the manner and delivery of the aid that we have committed, as we all are. We are going through the multi donor trust fund. We’re going through bilateral channels. And we will be disclosing and discussing our actions as we move forward. But our commitment is to be as effective, results-oriented, and expeditious as possible. As you know, our commitment is in the supplemental pending before Congress. We want to get that passed as quickly as we can and begin to implement it. On your last question, I think you accurately describe the P-5+1 position. It’s been a unified consultative group for more than a year now and it continues to be unified. And there will be a great deal of further consultation not only among the P-5+1 but other members of the Security Council and other member nations during the next weeks. FOREIGN MINISTER AMORIM: Well, I’ll start if I may responding to another question that had to do with Haiti, which was not put to me, but since I am (inaudible) another question, I’ll mention that. And that question had to do with how can you be sure that the money gets to the right people. And I’m saying that because in Brazil, when we started the huge program of income transfer, many people in the opposition or in the media asked, “How are you sure that the money is getting to the right people?” Well, five years or six years after that, 30 million people were raised out of poverty, so that was the best reply. So this question of being sure or not being sure is very often an excuse for doing nothing. Of course, that does not mean that we should not have the proper mechanisms we will have, but the most important thing is to have the will to help. And this brings concrete results. As to the question that was asked more directly to me on Iran, as you know, we are not part of the P-5 so we are not privy to the discussions that take place among the permanent members. Maybe someday that will change, and then I’ll be able to give you a better answer. (Laughter and applause.) But in the meantime, let me tell you that we are always open to any discussions. Of course, as you know, Brazil is in favor of negotiated solutions, but we are also open to discuss and are open to dialogue with other countries. Thank you. SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I think all the members of the P-5+1, as well as every other member of the United Nations, is open to negotiated solutions. We happen to think that action in the Security Council is part of negotiation and diplomacy that perhaps can get the attention of the Iranian leadership. FOREIGN MINISTER KOUCHNER: And if I may, not only – (laughter) – not only we offered, but we did it. We are talking and talking with the Iranian. We did. (Laughter.) PRESIDENT PREVAL: (Via interpreter) Do I need to develop a nuclear program for Haiti so that we come back to talking about Haiti? (Laughter.) MODERATOR: So the final question, it’ll be a Haitian question and it’s from FM, Scoop FM. QUESTION: (Via interpreter) Thank you very much. I’d like to raise a question which may go against the flow of the question raised by the Agence FE with regard to the assistance. I have a question for Mrs. Hillary Clinton, but it’s a different question. There’s always been a problem in the mechanism for disbursing the funds promised by donors, because often the funds that are promised are not actually provided. So what can the guarantees – what guarantees can be given by Secretary of State to the Government of Haiti so that we do end corruption and that the money actually reaches the people? The second question is to the president of the republic, Mr. Preval. Your Excellency, what decisions will be taken by the government immediately in Port-au-Prince following this conference on the basis of what’s been decided at this conference? Thank you. SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, first let me say that we have applied the lessons that have been learned from recent experiences, most particularly what happened after the tsunami, where I think there is general agreement that under United Nations leadership the money collected was very much held accountable and results were delivered. We are trying to do even better. One of the reasons we are posting all of the pledges on the web is so that everyone can see what countries and institutions have pledged. And we’re going to ensure that those who have pledged will deliver on their commitments. And we have set up the multi donor trust fund. The Government of Haiti has set up an intermediate mechanism for 18 months. And we have taken very careful, thoughtful steps among the Government of Haiti, the United Nations, and the rest of us to ensure that the people of Haiti benefit from these extraordinary commitments of generosity from the people around the world. PRESIDENT PREVAL: (Via interpreter) Thank you, Gary. Well, when we arrive, we will reassure the population with regard to what took place here in this conference. The conference was prepared, as Mrs. Clinton has just said, by hundreds of people who worked in the background. And this was – this is an opportunity now for me to thank all those people, but also to thank, on behalf of Haiti, Prime Minister Mr. Bellerive, who was responsible for ensuring what was achieved this afternoon. Once again, we need to explain to the various parties in the civil society and the people in general what is in question, what is the program, what is the vision, what – and what way the funds will be spent. Someone asked a moment ago whether budgetary support is included in this package. That will depend on those who have made the pledge. It will depend on the donor. If there are parties which will provide support to the budget, then that part will be managed by the Haitian Government and will be part of the republic’s national budget. If what is pledged as a contribution is not targeted for the budget of the republic, then it will be part of the multi donor trust fund and it will be managed by the World Bank. The Haitian Government will propose projects to that structure which is to be created, and the implementation of projects, the financial control will be ensured by the World Bank, and there will be a supervisory body for the entire operation. So first of all, we must continue to explain what this is all about, how it will function, what part of the budget will go to the national budget, and what part will be used on the basis of projects to be proposed by the Haitian Government. And I said a moment ago that we must play our role. It’s not just enough to submit projects without consulting other people, nor will it be a question of submitting the ideas for some projects. We must quickly ensure that the government establishes accelerated processes to study projects, to examine them, to ensure that they can be implemented. So we have an enormous task ahead of us. All those who believe that the consultation was not broad enough, allow me to remind them that this was a disaster. There are people who are living in their streets. This two and a half months has gone by and we’ve had Montreal, we’ve had Madrid, we’ve had the Dominican Republic conference. Many measures have been taken. And I can assure you that all this was an enormous task. And once again, this is an opportunity for me to thank all those who may not be present here with us this afternoon, but they did work very, very hard to ensure that this conference took place, and to make this success possible. Thanks again. Thank you once again. (Applause.) MODERATOR: Thank you, Mr. President. This was a day for multilateral diplomacy and a day for multilateral questions. We’re out of time. Thank you very much.
31 March 2010
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Article
Clinton’s Interview on CTV’s Power Play in Canada
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Office of the Spokesman March 29, 2010 INTERVIEW Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton CTV’s Power Play with Tom Clark March 29, 2010 Ottawa, Canada QUESTION: Madam Secretary, thanks very much. Welcome back to Canada, by the way. SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you. I’m always happy to be in Canada. QUESTION: Let’s start off with the headline of the day. We’ve had a terrorist attack in Moscow, dozens of people dead. Is this localized, in your view, or is there a wider implication? SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, it’s hard to tell, but I think there is a connection among most of the terrorist activities that we’re seeing around the world. They get encouragement from each other, they exchange training, explosives, information. I don’t know the details of this particular one other than, apparently, they were women who were the suicide bombers. And we know that Moscow has had problems for a number of years now with Chechnya and other places within the Russian Federation. So there are connections. I don’t think we want to go so far as to say they’re all part of the same operation, but certainly, there is a common theme to many of them. QUESTION: Could I move on to Afghanistan? It occurs to me that our two countries haven’t been this close in this sort of an alliance really since World War II. Strictly and purely from an American perspective, how important is it that that connection between the two countries continue, and perhaps continue beyond our pullout date of 2011 – again, purely from an American point of view? SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, we are very grateful for the Canadian forces, the Canadian Government, and most of all, the Canadian people with the support and solidarity that they have shown with us in this mission in Afghanistan. We would obviously like to see some form of support continue because the Canadian forces have a great reputation; they work really well with our American troops and the other members of our coalition. There’s a lot of commonality. I know that there’s the hockey rink at Kandahar that our troops and yours take advantage of, and unfortunately, ours usually lose again. So there’s just a really close working relationship. And I think our militaries have become even closer because of this deployment. Obviously, it’s up for Canada to decide the way forward, but we certainly hope there will be some continuing connection and visible support, because we’ve all learned so much. And we believe in the United States, with the new strategy that President Obama has set forth, we’re making progress. I mean, it’s been a long slog trying to learn how to take on these insurgents, to have great militaries like our countries do, but to have to go back to basically guerilla warfare, asymmetric warfare to take on the enemy. But we’ve made a lot of progress and we would very much look forward to having Canada involved in any way that you think appropriate. QUESTION: And by saying that, just to clarify, are you talking about maybe a noncombatant role but a Canadian military role continuing on past 2011? SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, there’s all kinds of things that are possible. The military could switch more into a training role instead of a combat role, a logistics support role instead of the frontline combat. Certainly, the nonmilitary functions of working to encourage development, better governance, the rule of law – all the pieces of the strategy that have to be married with the military. And Canada has a particular commitment to and experience with that kind of development work that would be very useful. QUESTION: Just going beyond the borders of Afghanistan and the military for a minute, what has Canada gained or benefitted from this alliance with the United States? SECRETARY CLINTON: You mean overall, the kind of alliance? QUESTION: Yeah, in a tangible type of way, Canada’s participation in this war with the United States, what’s it brought to Canada? SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I would say three things. First of all, we’re partners and allies in NATO. And when our NATO partners invoked the Article 5 collective defense obligation under our NATO treaty, that was the greatest sign of solidarity. I mean, we were attacked. It was the most horrific attack on the soil of the United States. And Canada and our other NATO partners joined with us. That is an incredible show of support, which we are very grateful for. Secondly, we face a common enemy. Whether you’re in a Moscow subway or a London subway or a train in Madrid or an office building in New York, we face the same enemy: the extremists who would try to turn the clock back on civilization, who are nihilistic, who pervert religion and values. They are, unfortunately, not just after Americans, but they’re after Europeans, they’re after Canadians, they’re after people who stand up against them and what they are promoting. So we’ve become, I think, aware that we face the same threat. And both of our countries are better prepared today than they were 10 years ago, and I think that’s a tangible benefit that we both have obtained. And finally, I think that, unfortunately, we have to go after the terrorists. They are not going to just disappear into the ether. They are very committed. They are well-disciplined. They use the tools of the modern world, from airlines and credit cards to the internet. And we live in fear that they would get their hands on nuclear material and made a crude nuclear bomb. So our militaries both had to learn how to deal with this new enemy. To be very blunt about it, we had great forces that were trained to fight the Cold War, and now we’re in a different kind of conflict. And I think both the American and the Canadian military would tell you that they’re not the same militaries that they were 10 years ago. They’ve had to be more agile, flexible, adjustable. They’ve had to look at how you combine military action with development and diplomacy. I think that’s really in the interests of our mutual defense. QUESTION: This is a good time to take a short break, Madam Secretary. If you’ll stand by and Power Play will continue right after this. Stay tuned. (Break.) QUESTION: We’re back with the American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Good to have you here. We were just talking about the benefits to the two countries working together in Afghanistan. I want to switch that now to the Arctic. We’ve got a couple of issues between our two countries. Let me point out one, the Northwest Passage. We claim that it is our sovereign territory, that this is Canadian waters. The United States has never recognized that. But could you foresee a time when the United States might recognize Canadian sovereignty over the Northwest Passage, say, in exchange for joint management of that water right? SECRETARY CLINTON: I think that’s what we’re beginning to discuss seriously. I know this has been a longstanding issue between our two countries, but it’s only now that we have the attention being paid to the Arctic that it deserves. We had an excellent meeting today with the five Arctic coastal countries called by Foreign Minister Cannon. There is so much we can do together, and that’s what we’re looking for. We have to do search-and-rescue. We have to include Russia, Norway, Greenland, and Denmark. We have to do more joint exploration, and Canada and the United States are doing that. We’re trying to map the ocean floor, figure out what’s there. Neither of us could do it alone. Together, we’re getting very valuable information. We have to do research into the fisheries. As the water warms because of climate change in the Arctic, what’s going to happen to the fishing stock? And how do countries like the United States and Canada, which share a coastal region with the Arctic Ocean, get prepared for that? What about gas and oil and minerals? I mean, there are so many issues that 10 years ago were kind of theoretical. Today, they’re real. We are seeing the retreat of the ice, unfortunately. We are seeing our indigenous populations under greater and greater pressure. So I am working with Foreign Minister Cannon to see how we can make progress on some of these matters that, up until now, have been kind of academic, but now we need to take them seriously and try to make progress together. QUESTION: And I get a sense that it’s moving up the chain of concerns, of American concerns. SECRETARY CLINTON: It is, Tom. QUESTION: Because a few years ago, it was fairly low. But when you take a look at it, there are now 66 combat-ready vessels in the Arctic, either on station or soon to be put in, representing only six countries. Are we seeing a new arms race in the Arctic? SECRETARY CLINTON: No, that’s what we’re trying to avoid. Our membership in the Arctic Council, which is the body that is charged with trying to manage the development of the Arctic – we’re cooperating with the countries that are in this region that really have the longest shorelines, like Canada, Russia, the United States. So what we’re trying to do is get ahead of these issues. We don’t want them to become problems, but we’re going to have to take responsibility. The Norwegian foreign minister made this point at our meeting today. He said it’s going to fall to us. I mean, if there is an oil spill or there is an accident out there on a platform of some kind, who’s going to come? It’s going to be Canadians, Americans, Russians, Norwegians. We’re the ones who are going to be there first because we’re closest. So how do we coordinate that? How do we protect these precious ocean waters from overfishing by countries that are thousands of miles from the Arctic? I mean, if we don’t start coordinating, yes, there is the potential for some challenges. But I think if we get ahead of it and we lay out how we’re going to do this, I believe we can be in good shape going forward. QUESTION: And if we can figure it out in the Arctic, can we expand that and talk about the continent? You know that for many years there was a discussion of perhaps customs union between Canada and the United States as a way of thinning the border, because all that’s happened is that the border, as you know, has gotten thicker and thicker. Can you foresee the day when you might – your country may look at the idea of a customs union as a way of perimeter security for North America, as opposed to fortress America? SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, we’re not looking at that right now. There are those who are writing about it and suggesting it. But I think your larger point is very important. This is the longest, most peaceful border in the world. We are each other’s biggest trading partner. We have an enormous investment in the economic well-being of the other on the side of the border. And my goal as Secretary of State is to begin to clear away any obstacle or misunderstanding. Now, in an economic downturn such as the world has gone through over the past two years, people get a little bit nervous and become somewhat anxious about their own futures. But we’ve worked through some of the difficult issues already this past year. And I just want to keep teeing them up. Now, we’re not going to make agreements on everything right away, but we are such close allies, we are such good friends, your country has more American citizens living in it than in any other country other than our own. So there’s just so much that connects us, and I want to broaden and deepen our relationship to make sure that we always remain as strong and partnered as we can be in looking toward the future. QUESTION: Let me ask you a question that I know that you’ve spent a lot of time thinking about and working on, and that is Iran and the situation that’s happening there. It seems that even with sanctions in place, what’s happening is that Iran is continuing apace in terms of building facilities that could lead to the nuclearization of that country. The fact that China is not involved in this process of the sanctions and so on – are we getting to the point where we might just have to start learning to live with a nuclear Iran? SECRETARY CLINTON: No. And in fact, China is part of the consultative group that has been unified all along the way, which has made it very clear that a nuclear-armed Iran is not acceptable to the international community. And I think as the weeks go forward and we begin the hard work of trying to come up with a Security Council resolution, China will be involved. They will be making their suggestions. We’re just going to have to – as in any effort, we’re going to have to try to come to some consensus. And we’re in the middle of that process. QUESTION: I have to jump to the last topic, and that is Mexico. Sadly, you have lost some consular officials in Mexico. SECRETARY CLINTON: Mm-hmm. QUESTION: That’s – the drugs that are on the streets in Canada, yes, they come through your country sometimes, by large measure, but many of them come from Mexico. How close are we to having Mexico – and I don’t know which word you want to choose, whether it’s a lawless state, an ungovernable state, a failed state – how close are we to that with Mexico? SECRETARY CLINTON: If you get away from the border, life in Mexico goes on. There are flare-ups of violence mostly between the criminal cartels, the drug traffickers themselves. But what President Calderon is determined to do is to stamp out the drug cartels and the violence that they bring, because all too often innocent people are caught up in these gangs fighting each other. So we worry about the challenge that the drug cartels are posing to the Mexican Government, but we feel very positive about what the Mexican Government is doing in response. They have an all-out effort going on where they’ve got the military and all the different police forces, where their cabinet is unified. I was just down there with a large representation from the American Government, and we’ve made real progress. And part of the reason we have, Tom, is because as soon as I became Secretary of State, I said what is so self-evident: A lot of Mexico’s problems are because of us; we’re the drug market; we have the demand; people push forward going north to get the drugs into the United States and then eventually into Canada. And we also, unfortunately, are a big gun market where a lot of illegal guns go down into Mexico, being used by these drug traffickers against the police and the military. So the United States is, for the first time, really saying, look, we’re part of the problem so we’ve got to be part of the solution. We are supporting the Mexican Government. We are engaged in intensive law enforcement efforts on our side of the border. And we’re going to do everything we can to help the Mexicans win this fight against these incredibly barbaric, vicious drug traffickers. QUESTION: Madam Secretary, it’s been a great honor. Thank you very much. SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you. Great to talk to you. QUESTION: Great to talk to you, too. Thank you so much. SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you.
29 March 2010
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Article
World Forum in Brazil Tackles Effects of Rapid Urbanization
By Cheryl PellerinScience Writer Washington — At a time when more than half the people on Earth live in cities, 18,000 officials and experts gathered in Brazil March 22–26 to tackle the challenges of rapid urbanization and its effect on communities, cities, economies, climate change and policies. The theme of the fifth World Urban Forum, held in Rio de Janeiro, “The Right to the City — Bridging the Urban Divide,” recognizes the rights of the urban poor and promotes their inclusion in and equal access to cities. The United Nations established the forum, which held its first meeting in 2002 in Nairobi, Kenya. By midcentury, 70 percent of the world’s population — more than 6.4 billion people — will live in cities and metropolitan areas, experts predict. Twenty-seven megacities, with populations greater than 10 million, will include Tokyo, New York, London, Paris, Sao Paulo, Mumbai, Seoul, Buenos Aires and Lagos. “What the U.S. experienced over a period of centuries is occurring around the world in a matter of years,” Shaun Donovan, U.S. secretary of housing and urban development, said March 22 during the forum’s opening ceremonies. “As a result, millions of people are increasingly vulnerable to the deprivations associated with overburdened infrastructure, inadequate housing and outmoded health systems.” The U.S. delegation included representatives from the Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Department of Agriculture and the White House Office of Urban Affairs. More than 500 people attending from the United States included elected officials and representatives from the nonprofit community, academia, business, foundations and research centers. “You only need look to the so-called megacities of Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America — or more recently to the devastation in Haiti or Chile — to understand that we all have a stake in ensuring that every country can participate in this new era of sustainable economic growth,” Donovan said. “The truth is,” he added, “when we open new markets for green technology, reverse the effects of global warming and work to ensure that billions of families live not in despair, but in communities of choice, opportunity and hope, we all benefit.” U.S.-BRAZIL PARTNERSHIP This week at the forum, officials from the State Department and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development praised Brazil’s efforts under the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA) to promote sustainable urbanization across the Americas. “The U.S.-Brazil relationship over the past year of the Obama administration reflects a healthy and productive alliance between our two nations,” Maria Otero, U.S. under secretary of state for democracy and global affairs, said March 26 during a visit to the university Fundação Getulio Vargas in Brasilia. “No matter the issue or challenge at hand — democracy in Honduras, relief for Haiti — we are working from a place of shared goals and mutual respect,” she added. “We may not always agree, but we are in consistent, honest dialogue — and I believe both our nations are the richer for it.” Otero moderated the forum networking session on "Youth and Technology" on March 24, and on March 25 served as a panelist for a dialogue on "Governance and Participation" and answered questions about urbanization during a webcast from the meeting. On March 29, Otero will travel to Brasilia for a meeting of the Common Agenda for the Environment, one of the bilateral dialogues between the United States and Brazil, and for other bilateral meetings. Otero will discuss a range of environmental policy issues, including responding to climate change through the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas, conservation and sustainable management of forests, and new areas for technical cooperation. ENERGY AND CLIMATE PARTNERSHIP Brazil’s initiative under the ECPA promotes green buildings, energy-efficient housing, sustainable transport and greenhouse gas reductions from solid waste, particularly in low-income communities across the region. The initiative includes participation from the governments of Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Mexico. At the April 2009 Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago, President Obama invited governments in the Western Hemisphere to join the ECPA, which supports voluntary initiatives on energy efficiency, renewable energy, cleaner fossil fuels, infrastructure and avoiding energy poverty. At the June 2009 Americas Energy and Climate Symposium in Peru, Brazil offered to lead an ECPA initiative, “Building with Energy Efficiency and Sustainability,” which focuses on urban development in low-income areas. U.S. support for Brazil’s initiative includes collaboration by the Department of State in developing a network of academics, funding policy dialogues with practitioners, launching technical and university exchanges and developing best practices on urbanization. April 15–16, leaders will discuss this partnership and other ECPA initiatives during the Energy and Climate Ministerial of the Americas in Washington. U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu will host the meeting and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will participate. Want to do something about climate change? Join the global conversation on Facebook or share your thoughts below.
26 March 2010
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Article
How Science, Engineering Can Inform Haiti’s Reconstruction
U.S. Department of State Bureau of International Organization Affairs March 22-23, 2010 Key Findings of Workshop on Rebuilding for Resilience: How Science and Engineering Can Inform Haiti's Reconstruction Fact Sheet University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida The devastation caused by Haiti’s January 12 earthquake underscores the need to operationalize the principle of disaster risk reduction and to incorporate disaster mitigation into all aspects of reconstruction. Rebuilding efforts must not only focus on providing shelter and services but also on strengthening the resilience of the Haitian people and their communities to future earthquakes and other natural hazards. What follows are key findings that will inform decisions of the March 31 International Donors’ Conference towards a New Future for Haiti. These messages emerged from two days of interdisciplinary dialogue at a workshop that brought together over 100 scientists, engineers, planners and policy makers drawn from government and non-governmental organizations, development agencies, the business, engineering and science communities, and academia. The deliberations benefited greatly from the active participation of a delegation comprised of Haitian government officials and academia. The workshop identified key issues in four areas that are fundamental to the process of responsible reconstruction of Haiti: a) rebuilding requirements related to hazard assessment, b) adequate engineering of buildings and critical infrastructure, c) long-term data needs, and d) capacity building. Convened by the U.S. National Science and Technology Council’s Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction, the workshop was co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development and the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, and by the IRIS Consortium with support from NASA, the National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Geological Survey. Additional information on the workshop is available at http://www.iris.edu/hq/haiti_workshop/ KEY FINDINGS: Hazard Assessment for Earthquakes, Inland Flooding, and Landslides Earthquakes, inland flooding and landslides are the three greatest hazard concerns associated with resettlement, recovery, and initial reconstruction in Haiti. (Additional hazards are discussed elsewhere in this document.) • Hazards, Vulnerability, Risk, Planning – Hazard assessment is the first step in improving lives through vulnerability and risk assessments, all of which need to incorporate locally-identified societal needs. Hazard maps are the point of departure for vulnerability assessments leading to risk assessments, which are to be used in land-use planning for development and reconstruction. Varying values of financial and social risk will result in planning for different levels of protection (hospitals require different standards than marketplaces). • Maps of primary hazards exist and should be used – Preliminary maps for these three hazards have been developed, including probabilistic seismic hazard maps, and should be used to guide local standards of building and infrastructure. Haiti is also subject to hurricane and tropical-storm force winds, coastal subsidence and lateral spreading, tsunami, and drought, and preliminary maps for many of these hazards exist, or can be prepared. • These maps will be refined, in partnership among Haitians and others – Long-term investment and development require the expansion and refinement of natural-hazard analysis in Haiti (and the region) as we move forward. For example, we need to improve the seismic hazard maps to incorporate amplification due to soil conditions and liquefaction potential. Refined versions of the current hazard maps will be created over the coming year, based on studies that should be done in partnership by foreign and Haitian experts, leading to long-term capacity for continuing improvement. • Flooding and debris flows hazards are on the rise – Given the severity of human impacts to the Haitian landscape related to deforestation and soil degradation and erosion, the risks associated with flooding and mass movements (such as landslide and debris flow) are greater than would be expected from historical experience and are likely to increase more as a consequence of climate change. Temporary settlement and reconstruction along rapidly aggrading rivers and on unstable slopes should be avoided. • Critical sites require additional studies – For the most critical sites, individual studies will be needed to locally refine these preliminary maps. Engineering Issues for Buildings and Critical Infrastructure The workshop identified four aspects of the rebuilding challenge from an engineering perspective: • Owner-built new construction • Owner-built construction represents 80 to 90% of the construction within Haiti, and thus building back better in Haiti requires improvements to the owner-built construction process. • Use better building materials – The construction materials and practices currently used in Haiti (i.e., reinforced concrete and concrete blocks) can be improved to build structures that are resistant to both earthquakes and hurricanes. • Improve construction methods – Specific improvements to construction methods should be identified (e.g., tamping of concrete to remove voids), as well as appropriate features of the structural details (e.g., reinforcement locations). • Provide examples of home designs – Five to ten standard prescriptive designs should be developed, each of which includes engineering drawings and building instructions, so that owners do not need to develop specific building plans that incorporate appropriate detailing. • Provide training and demonstration projects – Improvements to construction practice will require hands-on training sessions and demonstration projects at vocational schools (e.g., masons school) and local communities, as well as follow up visits to ensure that the improvements are being implemented. • Provide incentives for proper implementation – Incentives for implementing the developed improvements must be identified. • Study improved designs for future development – In the long term, considerations should be given to alternative types of structures and more sustainable solutions, using partnerships of Haitian and foreign designers. • New engineered infrastructure Infrastructure represents a wide range of facilities, including civic buildings (e.g. schools, hospitals, government buildings), bridges, ports, water distribution systems, power generation and distribution systems, drainage systems, waste-water collections systems, and solid waste management systems. • Use seismic engineering – Due to the importance of infrastructure facilities, they should be seismically engineered using appropriate design codes. • Adopt and/or modify existing design codes – This process requires adoption/modification of existing design codes for the unique setting in Haiti, and the adopted design code must use appropriate hazard estimates (e.g., ground-shaking design levels derived from seismic hazard maps) as the basis for design. • Work within regulatory framework with trained personnel – The design code needs to be implemented within an appropriate regulatory framework that includes certification, inspection, and enforcement. Enforcement of building codes will require capacity building of municipal engineers, and public works department engineers and construction industry workers such as masons, carpenters, and contractors. • Encourage sustainable practices – Sustainable practices should be used whenever possible. • Rehabilitation of existing buildings and infrastructure Throughout the country (both within and beyond the earthquake affected area), buildings and infrastructure are at risk of collapsing in the next earthquake. Buildings that survived the Jan. 12 earthquake are not necessarily earthquake-resistant. • Assess buildings and infrastructure – An assessment of the seismic vulnerability of existing buildings and infrastructure must be undertaken, and structures found to be deficient must be rehabilitated. These assessments should initially target essential facilities (e.g., civic buildings, institutional infrastructure, historic buildings) that are important to the population as a whole. • Identify retrofitting methods applicable to Haiti – Cost-effective rehabilitation strategies should be identified that are appropriate for the structural conditions in Haiti. • Provide demonstrations of rehabilitation effectiveness – Demonstrations should be developed (e.g., videos of shaking table tests that compare the responses of non-rehabilitated and rehabilitated structures) that illustrate the effectiveness of rehabilitation. • Identify and implement incentives for compliance – Incentives for rehabilitating existing buildings should be identified and implemented, in order to encourage participation in resilient reconstruction. • Landslide and liquefaction mitigation Landslides and liquefaction represent hazards in which the ground fails, generating significant damage. Landslides are a concern in steeper terrain and can be triggered by various mechanisms including rainfall and earthquakes. Liquefaction occurs in saturated, loose sand when earthquake shaking is large enough to temporarily transform the soil into a liquid-like state. • Identify susceptible areas – Areas prone to landslides and liquefaction should be identified through the integration of geologic data, soil data, and topographic data, and measures should be taken to minimize the risk posed by these hazards, either through enforced zoning or mitigation measures. • Improve soil in reclaimed land – Reclaimed land, such as the area around the port, is particularly prone to liquefaction, and measures should be taken to improve the soils in these areas. • Improve embankments and other structures – Soil fill materials used in road embankments and bridge approaches, as well as soft soils underlying roadbeds, may move considerably during an earthquake, resulting in roads that are impassible. These embankments and fill materials should be seismically engineered to perform better during earthquakes. Capacity Building The value of international investments in hazard-resistant structures will be greater if investments are also used to strengthen the country’s social and institutional capacity in order to endow broad cross-sections of Haitian society with the knowledge and resources to continually reduce the country’s vulnerability to natural hazards well into the future. Build communities, not just houses. • Provide direct financial support for education and training – Capacity building should be promoted with direct financial support for education, training and outreach, including programs for local masons, other vocational training, adult literacy, primary and secondary education, universities, and development of the Haitian science and engineering communities. • Preserve cultural heritage and social strengths – Haiti’s cultural heritage should be preserved throughout the rebuilding process, but the country’s recovery should also be transformative. Recognizing that widespread internal displacement has weakened many communities, perform assessments of social capital to determine needs at the local level. • Solicit community participation– Local communities should be engaged in a participatory planning process to promote buy-in for the reconstruction plan, a sense of ownership for rebuilding efforts, and build capacity through direct engagement with reconstruction issues. • Communicate facts of hazards – Assistance projects should budget for communication and outreach that works to dispel rumors about hazard risk and promotes risk-wise behavior. Communication of the hazards is essential, and education of the people and development agencies should accompany widespread distribution of hazard maps and promulgation of construction standards. • Use local markets – Leverage local markets for cost savings to avoid high international transaction costs, promote business continuity, and stimulate the local economy. • Budget for hazard mitigation, reducing impacts of future events – Allocate a portion of the rebuilding budget for sustained hazard mitigation, recognizing that much of the future vulnerability to hazards is represented by structures and communities not immediately impacted by the last event. Long-Term Data Needs In addition to identifying the existing hazard assessment tools that can be used to inform investments in rebuilding, the workshop also identified a number of areas where additional data acquisition is needed to refine hazard zonation, recurrence frequency, and city master planning based on identifying areas of significant risk from various hazards. Major data needs for improved risk and vulnerability assessments include: • Improved topographic and bathymetric information – The currently available 90-meter resolution Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data are not sufficient. Higher-resolution SRTM data exist and should be released. There is an associated need for still higher-resolution light detection and ranging (LIDAR) acquisition in key hazard-prone areas. • Remote-sensing data and studies – Continued and enhanced remote sensing observations are required to monitor and update hazard assessments. Satellite-based optical and synthetic aperture radar observations are needed to support field observations and to monitor surface deformation associated with strain accumulation and mass movements. • Field surveys for geology and soil classifications – Soil type and texture information is essential for slope-stability studies, reforestation planning, determination of site-specific seismic shaking amplification, and flood modeling. • Monitoring networks for multiple hazards – Reconstruction plans need to invest in a long-term program for development of monitoring capabilities, which must include a strong Haitian local capacity and infrastructure for long-term viability. In-situ networks of rain and river gauges are required for analysis and model verification for use in flooding and landslide hazard evaluation, as well as for agricultural and hydro power optimization. Seismograph and GPS networks are required for improving the assessment of earthquake and related hazards. Social tracking data are needed to improve vulnerability assessments and evaluate adoption of risk-wise behavior. • Consideration of geophysical drivers of natural hazards – Scientific observations and analysis are inherently regional in scope; natural hazards know no borders. Targeted investment in a regional capability that incorporates and builds upon capacity developed in Haiti will improve the sustainability of monitoring activities. This is an important consideration for hazards that have long recurrence intervals in any one location but have devastating impacts when they strike. The regional approach should leverage existing networks, infrastructures, organizations and social capacity to the extent possible and should facilitate access to the information generated.
26 March 2010
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Article
World Forum in Brazil Tackles Effects of Rapid Urbanization
Brazilian President President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva opens the U.N.-Habitat World Urban Forum 5 in Brazil March 22.By Cheryl PellerinScience Writer Washington — At a time when more than half the people on Earth live in cities, 18,000 officials and experts gathered in Brazil March 22–26 to tackle the challenges of rapid urbanization and its effect on communities, cities, economies, climate change and policies. The theme of the fifth World Urban Forum, held in Rio de Janeiro, “The Right to the City — Bridging the Urban Divide,” recognizes the rights of the urban poor and promotes their inclusion in and equal access to cities. The United Nations established the forum, which held its first meeting in 2002 in Nairobi, Kenya. By midcentury, 70 percent of the world’s population — more than 6.4 billion people — will live in cities and metropolitan areas, experts predict. Twenty-seven megacities, with populations greater than 10 million, will include Tokyo, New York, London, Paris, Sao Paulo, Mumbai, Seoul, Buenos Aires and Lagos. “What the U.S. experienced over a period of centuries is occurring around the world in a matter of years,” Shaun Donovan, U.S. secretary of housing and urban development, said March 22 during the forum’s opening ceremonies. “As a result, millions of people are increasingly vulnerable to the deprivations associated with overburdened infrastructure, inadequate housing and outmoded health systems.” The U.S. delegation included representatives from the Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Department of Agriculture and the White House Office of Urban Affairs. More than 500 people attending from the United States included elected officials and representatives from the nonprofit community, academia, business, foundations and research centers. “You only need look to the so-called megacities of Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America — or more recently to the devastation in Haiti or Chile — to understand that we all have a stake in ensuring that every country can participate in this new era of sustainable economic growth,” Donovan said. “The truth is,” he added, “when we open new markets for green technology, reverse the effects of global warming and work to ensure that billions of families live not in despair, but in communities of choice, opportunity and hope, we all benefit.” U.S.-BRAZIL PARTNERSHIP This week at the forum, officials from the State Department and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development praised Brazil’s efforts under the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA) to promote sustainable urbanization across the Americas. “The U.S.-Brazil relationship over the past year of the Obama administration reflects a healthy and productive alliance between our two nations,” Maria Otero, U.S. under secretary of state for democracy and global affairs, said March 26 during a visit to the university Fundação Getulio Vargas in Brasilia. “No matter the issue or challenge at hand — democracy in Honduras, relief for Haiti — we are working from a place of shared goals and mutual respect,” she added. “We may not always agree, but we are in consistent, honest dialogue — and I believe both our nations are the richer for it.” Otero served as a panelist for a dialogue on “Governance and Participation” March 25 and answered questions about urbanization during a webcast from the meeting. On March 29, Otero will travel to Brasilia for a meeting of the Common Agenda for the Environment, one of the bilateral dialogues between the United States and Brazil, and for other bilateral meetings. Otero will discuss a range of environmental policy issues, including responding to climate change through the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas, conservation and sustainable management of forests, and new areas for technical cooperation. ENERGY AND CLIMATE PARTNERSHIP Brazil’s initiative under the ECPA promotes green buildings, energy-efficient housing, sustainable transport and greenhouse gas reductions from solid waste, particularly in low-income communities across the region. The initiative includes participation from the governments of Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Mexico. At the April 2009 Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago, President Obama invited governments in the Western Hemisphere to join the ECPA, which supports voluntary initiatives on energy efficiency, renewable energy, cleaner fossil fuels, infrastructure and avoiding energy poverty. At the June 2009 Americas Energy and Climate Symposium in Peru, Brazil offered to lead an ECPA initiative, “Building with Energy Efficiency and Sustainability,” which focuses on urban development in low-income areas. U.S. support for Brazil’s initiative includes collaboration by the Department of State in developing a network of academics, funding policy dialogues with practitioners, launching technical and university exchanges and developing best practices on urbanization. April 15–16, leaders will discuss this partnership and other ECPA initiatives during the Energy and Climate Ministerial of the Americas in Washington. U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu will host the meeting and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will participate. Want to do something about climate change? Join the global conversation on Facebook or share your thoughts below.
26 March 2010
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Article
Note on Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Office of the Spokesman March 25, 2010 MEDIA NOTE Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas Discussed at the World Urban Forum: Advancing Sustainable Urbanization This week at the World Urban Forum (WUF) in Rio de Janeiro, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs Maria Otero and U.S. Housing and Urban Development Deputy Secretary Ron Sims praised Brazil’s efforts, under the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA), to promote sustainable urbanization across the Americas. On Friday, March 26, the Secretary of State's Special Representative for Intergovernmental Affairs, Reta Lewis, will deliver remarks at the closing ceremony. Brazil’s initiative promotes green buildings, energy efficient housing, sustainable transport, and greenhouse gas reductions from solid waste, particularly in low-income communities across the region. Efforts today to build sustainable low-income housing could help to lower our carbon footprint for decades to come. The initiative also includes participation from the Governments of Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Mexico. “The United States is delighted to be working so closely with Brazil and our other friends in the Americas to chart a more sustainable future for our continents and the world," said Deputy Secretary Sims. "We have much to learn from each other and in sharing the brightest ideas and cleanest technologies we can reduce our collective carbon footprint, while building more sustainable cities.” At the April 2009 Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago, U.S. President Barack Obama invited all governments in the Western Hemisphere to join the ECPA. ECPA is comprised of voluntary initiatives focused on energy efficiency, renewable energy, cleaner fossil fuels, infrastructure, and energy poverty. At the June 2009 Americas Energy and Climate Symposium in Peru, the Government of Brazil offered to lead an ECPA initiative, Building with Energy Efficiency and Sustainability, which focuses on urban development in low-income areas. U.S. support for Brazil’s initiative includes collaboration by the Department of State in developing a network of academics, funding policy dialogues with practitioners, launching technical and university exchanges, and developing best practices on urbanization so that all governments may benefit from each others’ experiences. Leaders will discuss this partnership and other ECPA initiatives when energy ministers from across the hemisphere meet April 15-16, 2010, in Washington, DC, at the Energy and Climate Ministerial of the Americas, hosted by U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu and with participation by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.
25 March 2010