Consultation with the Global NGO Community on Building Back Better in Haiti
New York University, 25 March 2010
Meeting Notes
The “Consultation with the Global NGO Community on Building Back Better in Haiti” was convened by the United Nations Office of Special Envoy for Haiti, InterAction, and the European Union (EU) at New York University on March 25, 2010. The purpose of the consultation was to bring together representatives of international and Haitian Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to seek feedback on and support for the Government of Haiti’s Action Plan in preparation for the March 31st Donor Conference at the UN. The sessions offered an opportunity to discuss challenges and opportunities in the relief and recovery efforts, and to suggest ways in which NGOs can work together with the Government of Haiti to ensure a rapid transition to development.
The meeting participants included representatives from NGO coalitions from Haiti, South America, Asia, Canada, Europe and the United States. Participants included national NGO platforms and coalitions (which collectively represent well over a thousand NGOs or at least 90% of all the international NGOs in Haiti) and the global NGO federations who represent a similar percentage of all the private resources committed to Haiti's recovery (which will soon exceed $1 billion). A number of meeting participants had previously participated in one of three of pre-meetings with NGOs held in Haiti, Europe and Washington, D.C. prior to March 25. Bilateral and multilateral donors were also represented with a number of observers.
Panel Discussion: “Remarks on ‘Building Back Better’”
Kristalina Georgieva (Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid, and Crisis Response for the EU) noted that the EU will continue to work closely with NGOs as part of its support to Haiti in the years ahead. This support will adhere to several principles: tracking needs, empowering Haitians, and focusing on long-term development. The Commissioner also acknowledged the importance of decentralization as well as ecological stability in the reconstruction efforts. In terms of critical needs, the Commissioner stressed the importance of linking humanitarian with development efforts, for example through providing employment to Haitians to support humanitarian activities. She also discussed the need for accountability by the international community and the Government of Haiti to the Haitian people.
Dr. Paul Farmer (UN Deputy Special Envoy for Haiti) reminded the audience that the international community must not only assist with rebuilding the country, but it must also rebuild its relationship with Haiti. He suggested the use of the term “accompaniment” to describe the NGOs’ relationship with the Government of Haiti, and used this term to describe the role of NGOs in building a strong public sector. He noted that while the NGO community has been calling for decentralization, the only way to do so sustainably is to build infrastructure and create jobs outside of Port-au-Prince. Dr. Farmer also said that with the enormous number of youth in Haiti, NGOs should focus on capitalizing on the abilities of young Haitians in the reconstruction of the country.
Sam Worthington (President and CEO of InterAction) noted that NGOs are one of Haiti’s largest partners; NGOs are currently the primary provider of services on the ground. InterAction members have received $844 million for the reconstruction of Haiti, approximately half of which has gone to relief and half planned to be allocated to reconstruction. InterAction’s continued engagement in dialogue on the reconstruction efforts will facilitate extensive partnership with Haitian civil society organizations. Mr. Worthington noted that there is a need for tools to show how, where, and when money is spent to promote transparency and accountability. He also stressed the possibility of a second disaster due to the upcoming rainy season. He concluded his remarks by recommending that NGOs take the lead in ensuring that women, rural communities, and Haitian non-state actors are at the table during discussions about reconstruction.
Bénédicte Hermelin (Vice President of Coordination SUD) identified four pillars for the recovery period: continuing humanitarian efforts, rebuilding communities for the internally displaced, strengthening the agricultural sector, and promoting sustainable municipal integration. She argued that preparations for the hurricane season must be strengthened, and shelter, health services, and education should be provided. She recommended that agricultural aid focus on the distribution of local produce rather than agricultural imports, rural capacities for agriculture production should be strengthened, and tariffs be levied on agricultural imports competing with local products.
Presentation on the Government of Haiti Action Plan
Following the panel, Nancy Dorsinville (NGO Advisor for the Office of the Special Envoy for Haiti) presented an overview of the Government of Haiti’s Action Plan for Reconstruction and Development (‘Action Plan’). She noted the need to recognize and address past and present vulnerabilities. The Action Plan proposes four main programmes focusing on: territorial, economic, social and institutional development. The plan includes increased integration of disaster risk reduction among the reconstruction priorities. Other key elements include decentralization (the development of services and the building of infrastructure in rural areas) and renewed emphasis on job creation. The plan also notes the need for appropriate preparation for the hurricane seasons, and emphasizes integration of environmental considerations into the reconstruction efforts.
Recognizing the number of amputees resulting from the earthquake, the Government of Haiti hopes to reinforce the office of the Secretary of State for the Handicapped in order to address the needs of this increased special population.
Ms. Dorsinville explained that the Government of Haiti has been consulting with Haitians with regard to their role in the reconstruction of the country. In addition to these consultations, the United Nations Office of the Special Envoy for Haiti and the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) contributed findings of their consultations with some of the most marginalized populations of Haiti to the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) team, ensuring that Haitian voices would be taken into account.
Presentation on “Participatory Development in the Recovery: The Perspective from the Haitian Civil Society” and Results from Haitian NGOs
Three representatives of Haiti’s civil society addressed the meeting, Patrick Camille, Groupe d'Appui aux Rapatriés & Réfugiés (GARR), Jean Luc Dessables, Haiti Response Coalition and Antonal Mortime, Plate-forme des Organisations Haitiennes des Droits Humains (POHDH).
The three representatives stressed the need for policymakers and planners from the Government of Haiti and international agencies to consult with Haitian civil society. They expressed their perspective that Haitian civil society should have been included more in the planning processes to date.
The representatives made a number of recommendations regarding the operational framework for the reconstruction process highlighting the following areas: principles of social justice should guide the reconstruction efforts; the domestic economy must be stimulated; local agriculture development should be prioritized; government structures be decentralized and the government’s capacity to provide services be strengthened, particularly education and health services; land use be reformed so that Haitians will be encouraged to move into rural areas; and a population assessment conducted to identify the needs of the people. The representatives also suggested that Creole, the officially recognized language of the Haitian Constitution, be used to communicate with Haitians about the reconstruction process.
The representatives stressed that Haitians are culturally disposed toward collective action and human relationships. They proposed that an independent multilateral agency be established to ensure that this Haitian approach is integrated into all relief and reconstruction programmes. They suggested that the results of the consultation be translated in Creole so that all Haitians can be apprised of the outcome.
Presentations on the Results of the US/EU NGO Consultations
A representative of the US and EU NGO Consultations held earlier in the same week also addressed the conference. Lindsay Coates of InterAction represented the consultation held in the US on March 24 which involved more than 200 NGO representatives. The NGO representatives expressed a desire to work with the Government of Haiti and for a reconstruction plan that included active and continuing involvement of Haitian civil society. Underlying themes include an emphasis on equity as Haiti is built back, the importance of viewing issues through the lens of gender and remembering vulnerable populations. It was also suggested that the reconstruction efforts place greater emphasis on social services, including education, child and maternal health, employment, training and education, sanitation, and water systems.
Ms. Alessandra Spalletta, coordinator of the Brussels based coalition called Coordination Europe-Haiti shared the findings of the consultation held with European NGOs on March 23. She called for endeavors to not only rebuild material structures but to also “rebuild the human person” in a post-disaster, post-trauma climate. The NGO representatives suggested that the key goals for the reconstruction effort include: food security; an increased role for the Government of Haiti in the distribution of food aid and the cash-for-work programme; and support to the agricultural sector. In addition, the representatives called for action to address the trauma among Haitians, political decentralization and shelter built according to safety codes. The representatives also called for a reduction of dependence on international assistance and suggested that international NGOs register with the Haitian government so that the government knows who is operating in their country.
Presentation on the Role of Gender in Meaningful Recovery
Anne-Marie Goetz (UNIFEM Chief Advisor on Governance, Peace and Security) gave a lunchtime presentation on the role of gender in the recovery effort.
She noted that almost half of Haitian households are led by women, who bear a disproportionate share of the burden of holding communities together and providing for their families, despite their lower education opportunities and higher poverty. They have been at the forefront of the reconstruction effort, fending for entire communities, improvising communal meals and child caring arrangements in the spontaneous settlements, and have thus been rightly targeted by UN agencies and NGOs as the most reliable channels of aid distribution. However, if the past is any guide, gender equality issues are neglected in the medium to long haul, and money allocated to these issues ends up amounting to regrettably small sums.
Ms. Goetz argued that while rebuilding housing and infrastructure will provide employment and income for many Haitians in the future, it is uncertain that women will be employed in construction. Therefore, attention must be paid to ways relief efforts could support women's income earning opportunities, through encouraging women’s employment with temporary jobs or through cash-for-work programmes, which could help to expand women’s non-traditional skills for later employment opportunities. These programmes should be sensitively designed, through quotas, the provision of important tasks that do not require physical strength, equal pay for equal work, and strategic communication to inform women of these opportunities.
Haiti's women's movement was devastated by the earthquake and needs support for capacity-building. Several of their top leaders died, including the Chief of Cabinet and Director-General of the Ministry of Women's Condition and Women's Rights, the founder of Kay Fanm, a battered women’s shelter, and a founding member of SOFA, one of Haiti's largest women's groups. They had advocated for years to change Haiti's laws on sexual violence. Many other community non-profits, microfinance organizations, rural centers, and other institutions serving women have been impacted or destroyed by the earthquake. Therefore, women must be at the highest level and at the center of the decision-making fora that raise and allocate funds and establish spending priorities.
Reports from the Working Group Sessions
Working Group Session I: “NGO Responses and Alignment with the Government of Haiti Action Plan.”
Rapporteurs: Carolyn Miles, Save the Children and Mario Joseph, Bureau des Avocats Internationaux.
From building infrastructure to capacity, the importance of supporting the government and its role was emphasized. Ms. Miles said that trust must be created between the government and civil society organizations, with a clear vision of what is needed. She also emphasized the need for decentralization and capacity building outside of Port-au-Prince, and proposed that NGOs use coordination mechanisms, perhaps by transforming the existing clusters. The group also stressed the importance of setting standards, discussed new ways of building capacity and agreed on the importance of focusing on outcomes for the Haitian people. Finally, she remarked that children and youth must be brought into the model, as more than 50% of the population is under the age of 18, and that a new mechanism to engage women and the poor was needed.
Working Group Session II: “NGO Responses and Alignment with the Haitian Interim Reconstruction Commission and Haitian Development Agency.”
Rapporteurs: Emmanuel Isch, World Vision Canada and Antonal Mortime, Plate-forme des Organisations Haitiennes des Droits Humains (POHDH).
The reconstruction plan will not work unless there is a focus on improving livelihoods. Communities must be included in the process, and civil society has not been adequately consulted. The Action Plan and PDNA should be translated into Creole so that all Haitians can understand it, and community meetings about both would help to diffuse information.
An open discussion followed. Several discussed the need for a code of conduct that NGOs could voluntary sign which would ensure their adherence to “Do No Harm” principles and provide a measure of accountability and responsibility. Others argued that the organizations who would sign such a code of conduct are not the ones about which people should be concerned; therefore, communities should be empowered to demand accountability from NGOs. One participant also reminded the group that, when talking about the state of services in Haiti prior to the earthquake, there were elements of the health system that had made excellent progress, and provide a foundation on which to build. A key point of discussion was the tension between the urgent need to save lives now and the longer-term issues of building capacity, sustainability and true recovery. The need to continue to focus on the most marginalized – women, children, disabled and elderly – was echoed many times.
During the discussion, Dr. Claude Grand Pierre, Chief of Staff to the Minister of Planning and External Cooperation, Jean-Max Bellerive, called in to the meeting to offer his support of the consultation. Following the government’s intervention, President Clinton, the UN Special Envoy to Haiti, made closing remarks.
Concluding Remarks: President William J. Clinton, UN Special Envoy for Haiti
Please see Annex C for the transcript of President Clinton’s remarks. (To be attached once available)
Annex B: List of Participating Organizations
Annex C: Transcript of President Clinton’s remarks.