DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – Haiti will be the focus at the World Summit for the Future of Haiti: Solidarity beyond the Crisis on June 2 to be held in the Dominican Republic. Under the leadership of Dominican Republic’s President His Excellency Leonel Fernandez, the conference would look to seal a sustainable commitment for Hiati’s long-term recovery.
The Summit will be held at Punta Cana and participants will include Heads of State and Government, as well as representatives of multilateral organizations to evaluate the aid to Haiti and arrange for the disbursement of economic resources for its recovery.
Former Jamaica Prime Minister, Most Honourable P.J. Patterson, Special Representative of the CARICOM Heads of Government to Haiti, and Ambassador Colin Granderson, Assistant Secretary-General, Foreign and Community Relations, will represent the Community at the forum.
The Summit under the theme `Solidarity Beyond the Crisis’, has been planned with the recognition that the task of “re-founding” Haiti required a huge effort and the execution of an action plan, which was financially and technically sustainable to guarantee that its road to success was un-interrupted.
Specific focus will be on the development of the following central themes: Economic Re-Foundation, Territorial Re-Foundation, Social Re-foundation; and Cultural and Artistic Recovery.
The Summit seeks to create permanent ties of solidarity between the international community and Haiti and to spearhead the beginning of the reconstruction work. To this end, it will review the commitments of donor countries and organizations, present a list of the projects containing the priority activities for each pillar of the Action Plan and provide a detailed account of the progress made in managing the reconstruction process.
On 31 March, the United Nations hosted the International Donors Conference on Haiti that had garnered pledges of $5.3 billion for the next two years and $9.9b for the next three years and beyond.
It is anticipated that the World Summit will concretise an action-plan to begin reconstruction work for the development of critical infrastructure including highways, potable water systems, electricity, housing, schools and universities.
President Fernandez and Haiti Prime Minister, Jean-Max Bellerive participated in the final preparatory meeting for the Summit held on Friday, May 21.
