CaribPR Wire

PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, May 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – Haiti’s Minister of the Interior, Thierry Mayard-Paul leads the nine-person delegation that will participate in the World Cultural Economic Forum (WCEF), scheduled to begin today in New Orleans, Louisiana. The minister’s primary objective is to present Haiti’s decentralization plan and the many investment/partnering opportunities available in Haiti’s heartland, as part of the government’s national development plan.

As part of the official agenda, in addition to convening with public and private sector leaders from around the world, the Minister and his delegation will meet with local government officials, the City of New Orleans, the Port of Lake Charles, Ochsner Health System, the Payson Center for International Development, the Port of South Louisiana, Port Fourchon and other maritime and service agencies.

“The WCEF provides Haiti a unique opportunity to showcase the many compelling investment prospects available to help revitalize our economy and drive job creation across all sectors, and throughout all the communities of Haiti,” said Mayard-Paul.

The minister also plans to discuss Haiti’s cornerstone decentralization program, Katye Pam Poze (KPP), which is focused on improving delivery of government services, as well as fostering development and job creation by promoting strong community involvement.   He also expects that KPP will continue to gain favorable receptivity internationally as an innovative “bottom-up” approach to community integration and sustainable development, “particularly since it includes cultural programs as mechanisms for peace, education and harmony,” added Mayard-Paul. “KPP has been designed as a holistic community-based program, where the end prize is to improve the quality of life of the Haitian people by enabling safe and prosperous communities right where they live, so they don’t have to migrate to urban centers to look for jobs.”

The range of actions within KPP include strengthening natural disaster risk reduction and recovery efforts; improving the delivery of health, housing and education services; recovering public spaces, developing local citizen initiatives and  creating job opportunities in tandem with the private sector. 

Mayard-Paul also stressed the opportunities available within Haiti’s diverse cultural talents, citing that worldwide personalities such as fashion icon Donna Karan have already pledged their support to Haitian artisans and their works, “which provide a grassroots model for job creation and education in Haiti that goes hand-in-hand with KPP’s ultimate goals,” said Mayard-Paul.

“The Haitian government is committed to facilitating investment,” underscored Mayard-Paul. “We are ready to assist with municipal initiatives throughout Haiti—in any of our regions—and we look forward to collaborating for sustainable development that advances decentralization and captures the ten-thousand-plus square miles of opportunities available.”

The delegation traveling with the Minister includes Ms. Elizabeth Landers, Adjunct Chief of Staff for the Minister of the Interior; Mr. Vladimir Laborde, Cabinet Member; Mr. Francois Richelle Lafaille, Minister of Social Affairs; Mr.  Guy Paul, Chief of Staff; Mr. Karl Jean Lousi, Executive Director, CFI; Dr. Rene Jean Jumeau, Secretary of State for Energy; Mr. Andy George Rene, Presidential Advisory Board and Mr. Anthony Arango, Special Envoy.

The World Cultural Economic Forum (WCEF) is an annual convening held in New Orleans, Louisiana. Hosted by New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, the Forum convenes leaders from cities around the world to shape the international discussion on culture.

Unveiling of Katye Pam Poze, Haiti’s proprietary, community-based decentralization initiative and civil preparedness programs discussed

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, March 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ –  Focusing on Haiti’s natural disaster planning and creation of strong community-based civil defense programs, Haiti’s Minister of the Interior, Thierry Mayard-Paul, accompanying President Michel Martelly, met with United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Senior Director, Jessica Faieta to discuss progress and next steps.  The meeting, which took place March 21 in Port-au-Prince, comes within the framework of strengthening the existing, long-term partnership between the UNPD and the Government of Haiti.

Recognizing the role played by the UNDP within Haiti, including fortifying the Department of Civil Protection (DPC), Minister Mayard-Paul underscored the importance of ongoing dialogue to demonstrate that both the Haitian government and the UNDP are committed to completing what we begin.

“The UNDP has been instrumental in strengthening the DPC’s institutional capacity, improving infrastructure and access to equipment that will help Haiti reduce risks and be better prepared to manage and respond to emergency situations,” said Mr. Mayard-Paul.  He added that the UNDP and Haiti have been committed partners, saying “We will demonstrate how working together we accomplish remarkable things,” referring to the validation ceremony for Haiti’s precedent-setting “Seismic Risk Reduction Plan.”

The Minister and Ms. Faieta also discussed the unveiling of Haiti’s new community-based decentralization program, Katye Pam Poze, which took place the previous week in a meeting between Mr. Mayard-Paul and Margareta Wahlstrom,  the UN’s Assistant Secretary General for Disaster and Risk Reduction.  Katye Pam Poze (KPP) forms the cornerstone for President Martelly’s National Agenda for Decentralization.

“Katye Pam Poze is a program developed by Haitians for Haitians that seeks to bring decision-making closer to the people,” said Mr. Mayard-Paul. “Our goal is to promote good governance, boost economic development and achieve our goals for job creation.  We also aim to ensure the efficient delivery of public services and safety for our citizens.”

At the core of Katye Pam Poze is a plan to mobilize local governments for disaster risk prevention and emergency response which is a top priority for the Martelly administration.  Both Katye Pam Poze and the new risk reduction initiative are aligned with the UNDP view that in a national emergency, the immediate priority is to ensure people receive help as quickly as possible, ideally within the first few hours.  “This can only be accomplished through community-based programs where everyone knows their roles,” said the Minister.  To this end, the Minister of the Interior has several initiatives underway, including a widespread national first aid training program. “Our comprehensive disaster preparedness strategy includes building a network of emergency operations centers, warehouses, disaster and fire stations throughout Haiti in order to help make all parts of the country safer,” said Mr. Mayard-Paul. “Complementing and bolstering the efforts of the Haitian Red Cross, first aid training will be provided to schoolchildren, workers, professionals, representatives of the informal sector, and the population-at large.”

In January 2012, Haiti’s Civil Protection network received a generous gift of SUVs, trucks, boats, canoes, 11,000 solar radios, tents and other disaster-response equipment from the U.S. Department of Defense further bolstering Haiti’s institutional capacity with modern emergency equipment.

“Civil Protection is a top priority for my department,” said the Minister. “As a next phase we will be creating a commission to define the five most critical concerns for civil protection and with the collaboration of everyone at the local and central government level we will implement our new initiative.  We will keep you informed about the outcome of this commission, and we hope that UNDP will continue to be our partner as it has proven to be throughout all these years.”

Also present at the meeting were Nigel Fisher, Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator of UN System, UNDP Resident Representative; UNDP Administrator, Helen Clark and Haiti’s Minister of Planning Herve Day.

Aligned with national decentralization agenda, President Martelly’s administration is proactively building capacity of municipalities and departments to better prepare communities for emergency response

 CAP HAITIEN, Haiti, March 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – Haiti’s Minister of the Interior, Thierry Mayard-Paul and United Nation’s Development Program (UNDP) administrator, Helen Clark hosted a landmark validation ceremony in Cap-Haitien today, putting into action a precedent-setting “Seismic Risk Reduction Plan for Northern Haiti.”

The plan, a flagship project for UNDP and its national partners, is a joint venture between UNDP and Haiti’s National System for Disaster Risk Reduction, under the Ministry of the Interior.  According to the UNDP’s Clark, this is one of the first times that a developing country has taken advance measures to reduce the vulnerability of its people and economy to future earthquakes. “This project is a historical landmark and this is to the credit of the Haitian government, which decided to engage a proactive strategy of risk reduction in order to avoid a similar tragedy to that which struck Port-au-Prince and its region on January 12th, 2010,” she said.

In response, Minister Mayard-Paul remarked, “That the Haitian Government chose to take action, rather than wait for the next earthquake, storm or hurricane, as part of our national strategy for decentralization.  We are putting in place a very pro-active strategy for risk reduction to protect our people and our economy as a way of strengthening our communities throughout Haiti, in full alignment with our decentralization strategy.”

Because of its geographical location, Haiti is exposed to floods, hurricanes, tsunamis, landslides and earthquakes, with particular vulnerability in the northern regions, which sit atop two tectonic plates.  Although scientists have no way of telling when the next earthquake will hit, they agree that the level of threat in Northern Haiti is high. At the same time, Northern Haiti is poised to play a key role in the decentralization that is part of the post-January 12th, 2010 regional and economic rebuilding for the country. In particular, tourism represents a strategic development opportunity thanks to the amazing coastline and landscape, as well as to the rich cultural heritage found in this part of the country. Additionally, recent international investments in the Caracol-Fort Liberte economic development area enhance the region’s future as a manufacturing center poised to attract factories and tens of thousands new inhabitants.

Ms. Clark emphasized that in order to invest the hundreds of millions of dollars necessary to develop Northern Haiti into an attractive pole for economic activity; Haiti must first ensure the safety of that investment in the face of natural hazards. “The ‘Seismic Risk Reduction plan for Northern Haiti’ will help local and national authorities face this challenge,” she said.

Minister Mayard-Paul concurred saying, “Our country and our people are vulnerable. We will be looking to the seismic risk reduction program here in the north in order to learn lessons we can integrate into wider programs for the Government of Haiti and our partner organizations.  We are hoping that this program will become a model for reducing seismic risk in other parts of the country.”

Disaster and Risk Reduction, and building strong civil preparedness programs, are at the very heart of Haiti’s new community-based decentralization program, Katye Pam Poze, the cornerstone initiative of President Martelly’s National Agenda for Decentralization. Launched by Minister Mayard-Paul one week ago in Jacmel, Katye Pam Poze seeks to bring decision-making closer to the Haitian people. At the same time, it seeks to promote good governance; boost economic development and job creation, ensure the efficient delivery of public services and promote citizen safety.  Defined by Minister Mayard-Paul as a plan created “by Haitians, for Haitians”, Katye Pam Poze mobilizes local governments for disaster risk prevention and emergency response; a top priority for the Martelly administration.

“Civil Protection, which will oversee Natural Disaster prevention and mitigation, is within the scope of programs encompassed by Katye Pam Poze,” explained the Minister. “As our administration works towards decentralization, our efforts to empower and support local government and local development, must take into account efforts to reduce and manage disaster risk.”

Stressing that the Martelly administration plans to complement earthquake risk reduction with similar programs to mitigate risks related to cyclones and flooding, the Minister said, “We are proactively building capacity of our municipalities and departments for seismic-risk management so all Haiti can be better prepared to manage and respond to emergency situations. Programs such as this are close to my heart, as they involve the safety, welfare and lives of our People.”

Initiative is part of the Ministry of the Interior’s community-based decentralization strategy, which seeks to build a safety, infrastructure and institutional capacity network across Haiti.

FORT-LIBERTE, Haiti, March 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Haiti’s comprehensive disaster preparedness strategy advanced significantly with today’s groundbreaking ceremony for a new emergency operations center, disaster relief warehouse, and fire station in Fort-Liberte.  As the first of 10 such emergency operations centers and disaster relief warehouses, eight community clusters and 14 fire stations to be constructed throughout Haiti, the Fort-Liberte facility marks the beginning of the next phase of construction under the auspices of the U.S. Southern Command’s Humanitarian Assistance Program in partnership with the Government of Haiti.

Presiding over the ground-breaking, Haiti’s Minister of the Interior, Thierry Mayard-Paul remarked that functional emergency operations centers and disaster relief warehouses “are not only critical in saving lives and minimizing damage during disasters; they also enhance institutional capacity throughout Haiti so we can increase safety in all parts of the country.”

Daniel Foote, Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy, representing the U.S. Southern Command, noted that Haiti’s civil preparedness projects have entered construction phase and are one step closer to helping the Government of Haiti provide vital services to communities in the Nord-Est Department. “This Emergency Operations Center will allow local emergency response personnel to collect and analyze reported information, make decisions, and manage Haiti’s collective response to emergencies or natural disasters.”

He added that by providing additional fire-fighting and emergency service capabilities to the Fort Liberte area, the fire station facility will play a significant role in the event of a larger-scale emergency within Haiti.

Minister Mayard-Paul concluded “The new facilities will also enable us, through the Civil Protection Agency (DCP), to improve the quality of life of our communities, providing vital safety services.  We could not do this without the unwavering support of our friends in the United States who, through Southern Command, the embassy and USAID, along with the United Nations Development Program, World Food and others in the international community, help us turn necessities into plans, and plans into reality.”

The new facilities are expected to be used as soon as available, with plans to hold community first aid trainings as part of the DPC’s recently-launched annual campaign, “Civil Protection is Everyone’s Responsibility,” already under way.

“At the Ministry of  the Interior, we are following through on our commitment to identify the most pressing needs of the Haitian people, and turn those needs into plans that materialize into actual infrastructure, tools and programs that will benefit  communities across the country,” said Mayard-Paul. “That is the essence of our community-based decentralization program.”

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, Feb. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — In a Club de Madrid Conference held today in Port-au-Prince, Jorge Quiroga, the former president of Bolivia, and Jose Maria Figueres, the former president of Costa Rica, conferred with the Presidential Advisory Council for Economic Growth and Investment (PACEGI) and Haitian business leaders regarding investment opportunities waiting within Haiti’s mining and eco-tourism sectors.

According to Haiti’s Minister of the Interior, Thierry Mayard-Paul, who welcomed the former presidents and other conference attendees, the key objective of this Conference is to explore these untapped opportunities with the goal of attracting investments that will accelerate our vision for sustainable economic development based on decentralization and job creation.   Job creation is a top priority for the Martelly administration, whose goal is to create 500,000 jobs over the next 36 months.

Drawing on Costa Rica’s success as an ecotourism destination, Figueres discussed best practices for the sector, pointing out that development is about more than opening your borders; it is about creating jobs and investment opportunities.  Think of activities as clusters of economic activities, he said, adding that decentralized energy generation, smart grids and carbon credits are considerations for developing Haiti’s eco-tourism sector.

In looking at successful eco-tourism models in the region, Minister Mayard-Paul recently interviewed leaders in the Dominican Republic, including visionary tourism pioneer Frank R. Rainieri, the force behind the development of Punta Cana Resort & Club.   Currently, Punta Cana is the Caribbean’s most highly visited destination, yet is a resort community that respects the natural habitat of the area while offering visitors a world-class vacation experience.    Figueres advised Haitian officials to benchmark with the best in class ­ not just Caribbean neighbors, but also look at Singapore, Ireland and Israel.

Bolivia’s Quiroga shared mining best practices, emphasizing that stable politics and a stable economy are essential for attracting investors to this sector. To bring in all the investments you can, you need broad-based legislation providing the right legal framework.  He also  advocated creating a strong Civil Service to ensure capacity within the  government to partner with investors.

Haiti’s Minister of the Interior, Thierry Mayard-Paul told the audience that in working on multiple fronts to attract investment to Haiti, the Martelly administration continues to present new economic development opportunities, such as mining.  The possibilities for extracting Haiti’s deposits of gold and copper will benefit the Haitian people and foreign investors alike, driving job creation and economic development especially in our northeast regions — in full alignment with our vision for decentralization.

Mining presents substantial potential for Haiti, according to Quiroga, who referenced the rich deposits in the Dominican Republic’s Pueblo Viejo mine, the fourth largest active goldmine in the world.  This mine is in the northern Dominican Republic and it runs very close to the Dominican Republic /Haiti border, he said. So the thought is that between that factor and similar typography in the region there could be significant gold reserves in Haiti.  Several other mining companies have expressed initial interest in potentially exploring Haiti as a mining destination.

Minister Mayard-Paul noted that Haiti is in the process of updating its mining laws, which mining executives evaluate as needing some updating and expansion to ensure natural resource protection, proper remediation and benefits to the impacted communities.

Regarding benefits to the communities, Quiroga presented ideas for linking mining revenues to conditional cash flows to the poorest pockets of Haiti. When public and private sectors collaborate, and work together in partnership, ventures such as mining and eco-tourism can bring positive benefits to everyone, said Mayard-Paul. Our government is doing its part to provide the political will and robust regulatory framework that will insure that projects are well managed and investments are secure. Now, we need investment dollars, and investors with bold ideas.

This was the seventh high-level mission to Haiti for Club de Madrid, who has assisted Haitian leaders since the January 2010 earthquake.  In addition to being members of Club de Madrid former presidents Quiroga and Figueres are also dedicated members of President Martelly’s PACEGI composed of former world leaders and business dignitaries dedicated to promoting foreign investments in Haiti as a way to develop prosperity for the Haitian people.

Capacity building, best-practice sharing and job creating opportunities are addressed with CARICOM leaders during two-day mission to Haiti

 PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, Feb. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – In meeting with the President of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Mr. Desire Delano Bouterse and the Bureau of Heads of Government during CARICOM’s two-day mission to Haiti, Haiti’s Minister of the Interior, Thierry Mayard-Paul stressed that Haiti is charting a new course for sustainable economic development. ”We are focusing our efforts on investment and job creation, particularly in Haiti’s heartland,” he said, articulating the Martelly administration’s new vision for Haiti. ”We understand that the key to driving sustainable development in Haiti is to map it throughout our entire nation and then drive it through local initiatives and decentralized cooperation.”

CARICOM leaders are in Haiti to forge stronger ties and closer cooperation between the 14 member states while exploring ways to strengthen Haiti’s participation in the organization.  Under discussion is the adoption of French as an official and working language for the organization. 

After thanking CARICOM members for their ongoing support of Haiti since the 2010 earthquake, Mayard-Paul emphasized that his nation is progressing in its recovery efforts, saying, “President Martelly’s new vision for Haiti is to build a socially just, economically free, and politically independent nation that does not end with reconstruction but rather, begins with renovation. This is aligned with the administration’s vision for decentralization and job creation through investment.”

Stressing the fact that Haiti offers an energetic and willing workforce, Mayard-Paul said, “It is clear that what Haitians want and need is jobs that will restore their dignity. We are therefore looking forward to working in close collaboration with our CARICOM neighbors to promote opportunities that reflect our communities’ most pressing priorities – jobs. We also seek to share those best practices that are yielding results for other member nations.”

The Minister pointed to collaboration in Civil Protection activities, such as disaster preparedness and relief. ”All of our nations are in geographic locations that make us vulnerable to the variances of nature,” he said. ”Therefore, we welcome best-practice sharing focused on institutional capacity building for preparedness and response, and equipment that will allow us to react more quickly and effectively.”

In encouraging investments from CARICOM nations, the Minister highlighted the myriad of investment opportunities waiting in Haiti’s heartland, especially in social infrastructure initiatives that enable communities to generate jobs and sustainable development.  “With so many great opportunities in agriculture, tourism, infrastructure development and other sectors, we would be looking to CARICOM to help steer investments and contributions in these areas,” he said. “Additionally, as part of CSME [Single Market Economy of the Caribbean], we should be looking at standards that will facilitate the export of Haitian products to our Caribbean neighbors.”

The Haitian minister asked for closer collaboration on cultural exchange activities and cited the possibility of establishing a Caribbean Youth Parliament or Organization that seeks to build lasting relationships among the future leaders of the Caribbean. ”Caribbean universities could also embark on region-wide research related to the environment, the economy and social integration. The idea is that future leaders have a common understanding and culture that will facilitate a common market,” he said.

Overall, the Ministry of the Interior identified 40 key projects pertaining to meeting the needs of Haiti’s population outside the capital of Port-au-Prince, telling CARICOM representatives, ”We would welcome the opportunity to present and discuss them with you.  Our brother nations of CARICOM have been of great support to us since the earthquake and we are grateful.”

Haiti’s Minister of the Interior seeks to direct more investments, projects and jobs to the heartland

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, Dec. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ – Haiti continues to send clear messages that the country is open—wide open—for business.  Speaking at the Clinton Global Initiative – Haitian Action Network Forum (GCI/HAN), Haiti’s Minister of the Interior, Thierry Mayard-Paul, pointed to the abundant investment opportunities throughout Haiti and reiterated the aggressive, positive steps the Haitian Government is taking to make Haiti a “great place to do business” and a favorable place to invest. 

“President Martelly, his administration and I are fully committed to ensuring that companies and organizations can experience success in Haiti,” said Mayard-Paul.  “We want to create an environment where Haitian entrepreneurs can establish new businesses quickly and efficiently and an environment where international companies feel confident that their investments will be profitable and secure.”

Noting that the government of Haiti has already begun to make important adjustments to the nation’s legal framework, the Minister listed democratic governance, rule of law, tax incentives, land reform as key measures designed to help investors realize the most positive results for themselves as well as for the Haitian people.

International fashion-designer, Donna Karan, a participant in the Haiti Action Network forum, openly expressed her enthusiasm about what is happening in Haiti today, “every person in Haiti is full of creativity, so you can have an immediate business.” She also praised the Martelly administration for taking the right path towards a stronger Haiti and commented that sustainable development and job creation is “the only way to do it” and that the best investment in Haiti is in its people. “The opportunities in Haiti are endless,” she concluded.

Within this more positive investment environment, Mayard-Paul encouraged Haitian investors, NGOs and entrepreneurs attending the Haiti Action Network Forum to support  priority projects such as building and modernizing Haiti’s infrastructure and energy grid—and challenged them to shift their focus beyond the capital city to Haiti’s rich interior.

“President Martelly’s new vision of Haiti is to build a socially just, economically free, and politically independent nation; one which doesn’t end with reconstruction but rather, begins with renovation,” said Mayard-Paul as he again called for more social initiatives beyond the gates of the capital of Port-au-Prince.  ”The key to driving sustainable development in Haiti is to map it throughout our entire nation and then drive it through local initiatives and decentralized cooperation.”

Dufirston Neree of the Inter-American Development Bank agrees that the Martelly administration is taking the right approach, “The government of Haiti should continue to do what it is doing to support decentralization and sustainable development. If the government continues on this path, things will improve.”

Several social initiatives are already underway as examples of programs that advance President Martelly’s vision for a decentralized Haiti, including an innovative and cost-effective approach to reduce extreme poverty and improve health outcomes in Central Haiti, which has been implemented by Fonkoze, in partnership with BRAC and Partners in Health. The program has reduced mortality from malnutrition, and increased access to high-quality training and educational opportunities for rural youth.
Another example is the recent partnership by Nestle and the Colombian National Coffee Federation to transfer agricultural, reforestation and cooperative organization best practices to Haitian coffee growers. 

According to Mayard-Paul, “There has never been a better time to get involved in our many territories.  There are co-ops and businesses that are ready to scale up their work, and become players in the global economy. The current Haitian government is committed to facilitating investment, and we have a population that is ready to work hard. Today, the people of Haiti are not looking for a hand-out, we want investments and jobs to restore our dignity and rebuild our nation.”

Haiti has taken aggressive steps to promote private sector investment and social infrastructure programs in order to drive job creation.  A recent investment forum in Haiti, sponsored by the Inter-American Development Bank and the Clinton Foundation, attracted a stellar response from the international investors, with more than 1,000 business-minded attendees, including many corporate CEOs, turning out to learn more about how and where to take advantage of Haiti’s myriad investment and development opportunities.  During that conference, several concrete commitments were announced including a joint venture between Digicel Group and Marriott Hotels worth $45 million to open a 168-room hotel in Turgeau.  Minister Mayard-Paul thanked Denis O’Brien, Chairman of Digicel Group, for his continued commitment and support in Haiti that has brought invaluable opportunities to this nation.