Speaking in Mexico at the opening of the first hemispheric conference of its kind on coordination of international cooperation with Haiti, OAS Assistant Secretary General Albert Ramdin applauded the decision to bring together government actors and the international community to discuss prioritization of international aid coordination for Haiti.

The conference, which was co-organized by Mexico, Haiti and the OAS, took place this past November 4-5, 2009. It brought together high-level representatives from international organizations, financial institutions, the government of Haiti, and several member states of the OAS in support of Haiti’s current efforts to develop a national system for tracking, monitoring and reporting international assistance funds.
“This conference reflects not only the commitment of the participants to enhance the effectiveness of hemispheric and international cooperation with Haiti, but is also a concrete demonstration of solidarity with the people and government of Haiti”, said Ramdin.

The Assistant Secretary General acknowledged that “while coordination can be challenging,” it is essential if the international community is to be effective in supporting Haiti’s progress.

Ramdin used the occasion to announce that for the first time, five Inter-American agencies (the OAS, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Pan American Health Organization, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture and the Pan American Development Foundation) will be working toward the development of an integrated Inter-American program of Support for Haiti.

The scope of recommendations and interventions emanating from the conference outlined important steps in ensuring greater synergy and complementarity across institutions and the larger donor community. Assistant Secretary General Ramdin underscored the value of including NGO’s and the Diaspora in the coordination process.

Haiti’s Foreign Minister Alrich Nicolas called the conference “a decisive moment in the creation of new synergies”. Mexico’s Secretary of State, Patricia Espinosa, who hosted the meeting, emphasized that “shared challenges call for a united front” in the area of cooperation with Haiti.

The outcome of the conference and follow-up initiatives will be shared with the government of Haiti and other international partners.

Reference: E-368/09