Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere: the mortality rate for children under the age of 5 is 123 out of

CIDA support is helping thousands of Haitian girls to get a higher-quality education.

1000, life expectancy at birth is 53 years, the adult literacy rate is 52 percent, and the average annual per capita income is US$390. All this is placed against a backdrop of desertification due to almost complete deforestation. The Human Development Index ranks Haiti 153^rd out of 177 countries. Furthermore, state institutions are failing and the public service is poorly organized. It is within in this difficult context that Canada’s cooperation is delivered.

Signs of positive change

Despite this situation, the situation in Haiti shows signs of improvement. For example, in recent elections, Haitians voted in large numbers, and a new, democratically elected government with promising leadership has come to power. Parliament is becoming more functional, and conditions are favourable for reform and strengthening state institutions. Also, Haitian society is transforming, and positive agents of change toward development are at work. For example, newspapers and local radio stations have greater freedom of expression and access to information. Equally important changes include the creation of rural associations, women’s organizations, unions, citizens' organizations, and local development initiatives. All this contributes to the growth of a dynamic and diverse civil society that plays an ever-greater role in dialogue with the state. However, civil society is still young and must be strengthened along with state institutions.

Canada's cooperation: Long-term engagement

Canada has been assisting Haiti and its people for a long time. In the first half of the 20^th century, many Canadian religious communities had established a presence in Haiti–some of them continue to this day–and they did considerable work in health and education. Then, in 1968, with the beginning of Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) cooperation programs, Canadian development in Haiti became increasingly concrete, with the exception of a brief interruption during the military dictatorship of 1991–1994.

Today, Haiti is the largest beneficiary of Canada’s development assistance in the Americas. Subject to continuous political and economic crises since its independence, Haiti requires immediate support based on security and the re-establishment of peace. To address the current situation in Haiti, many Government of Canada departments, including CIDA, are coordinating their actions to strengthen good governance and democracy to increase security in the country and to respond to basic human needs. Since the departure of Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the Government of Canada’s engagement in Haiti has materialized through its support to the Interim Cooperation Framework (ICF) and United Nations Stabilisation Mission in Haiti (UNMISTAH).

Current Canadian engagement in cooperation

Since the spring of 2004, in cooperation with other donors and in support of Haiti’s interim government, Canada has actively assisted in developing and implementing the ICF, a reconstruction plan that was initially to take place from July 2004 to September 2006. From April 1, 2004, to March 31, 2006, Canada disbursed more than C$190 million.

The newly elected government in Haiti and international donors agreed that the ICF would be extended until the end of September 2007. Haiti took the initiative of presenting a detailed document outlining its financial needs in extending the ICF, as well as other economic and social priorities, for the next five years: from 2006 to 2011. It is in connection with this document that donors, including Canada, announced their contribution on July 25, 2006, during the International Conference for the Economic and Social Development of Haiti, held in Port-au-Prince.

CIDA’s approach to Haiti is adapted to the risks and particularities of a fragile state. It aims to build on investments already made, maintain progress achieved, prevent and reduce social tension, support the emergence of a social consensus at all levels of society, and support agents of change. Canada’s cooperation strengthens the capacity of the state, assists with economic recovery, invests in basic services, and supports civil society.

Canada’s bilateral contribution is second only to that of the United States. Canadian expertise is particularly evident in such key areas as governance, energy, local development, health, education, and support to women’s mobilization for change. In addition, CIDA provides leadership in coordinating the work of donors and in the relationship between donors, the government, and Haiti’s civil society.

Priority Sectors – CIDA’s programming in Haiti addresses the priorities of the ICF. CIDA’s disbursements from April 1, 2004, to March 31, 2006, were as follows:

1. Political governance and national dialogue – security, justice, policing and disarmament, penitentiaries and human rights, the electoral process, and national dialogue ($45 million, including $30 million for the elections)
2. Economic governance – institutional capacity building and local development ($12 million)
3. Economic recovery – electric power, rapid job creation and microfinance, and environmental protection and renewal ($9 million)
4. Access to basic services – water and sanitation, health and nutrition, and education ($74 million)