JOINT COMMUNIQUÉ BY SECRETARY-GENERAL, PRESIDENT OF HAITI

 

Following is the text of the joint communiqué issued by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and President René Préval of Haiti, in Port-au-Prince on 9 March:

President René Préval met this evening with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in the presence of former United States President William J. Clinton, during which they held in-depth discussions regarding the socio-economic situation in Haiti.

The Secretary-General and President Clinton took note of the progress achieved in terms of public security, political stability and good economic governance.  In the course of their discussion, they focused on the hardship faced by the Haitian people and the challenges faced by the country because of international economic trends, the global financial crisis and the devastation wrought by last year’s hurricanes.  In this connection, they underlined the full solidarity of the international community with the Haitian people.

At the same time, the Secretary-General and President Clinton believe that even though the losses have been so great in Haiti, the commitment of the people of Haiti to a better future is even greater -- that this is a unique moment to assist them as they rebuild their country.  President Clinton noted that Haiti is poised to make more progress in less time than it has in the past two decades.

To this end, President Préval and his visitors observed that Haiti offers important opportunities for investment, job creation and economic growth.  They also believed that it was essential for the country to take full advantage of openings to international markets.  They agreed that, by making full use of existing national and international potential, it would be possible to place the country on the path to sustained growth and to improve the daily living conditions of the people.

In this context, the Secretary-General undertook to support the forthcoming donors’ meeting in Washington, D.C., and to encourage bilateral and multilateral assistance that could help meet immediate needs and pave the way for longer-term progress, including through improvements in infrastructure, environmental measures and development of alternative energy sources.  The Secretary-General also indicated that he would seek to promote awareness of Haiti’s potential within the international private sector.

President Préval reaffirmed his determination to strengthen engagement with the private sector, as reflected in his recent establishment by decree of a working group on Haitian competiveness.  He also reiterated his desire to prioritize the enactment of the necessary legislative, administrative and regulatory measures that can ensure an environment that is conducive to economic growth and job creation.

President Préval and the Secretary-General agreed that they would remain in contact to evaluate progress and to identify additional means to support Haiti’s sustainable development.  

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For information media • not an official record