(2017) Report of the Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti (E/2017/77)

United Nations E/2017/77 Economic and Social Council Distr.: General 29 June 2017 Original: English 17-10783 (E) 130717 *1710783* 2017 session Agenda item 12 (d) Coordination, programme and other questions: long-term programme of support for Haiti Report of the Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti Summary The present report is submitted pursuant to Economic and Social Council resolution 2016/28 and highlights the main findings of the Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti following its visits to Washington, D.C., in March 2017, during which members met with the international financial institutions and regional actors, and to Haiti, in May 2017, during which members interacted with a number of senior government and legislative officials, representatives of the United Nations system and private sector and civil society actors. While the Group acknowledges the full responsibility of Haiti for its own development, it also notes the difficult and complex context in which the country finds itself following the past two years of protracted political impasse, major natural disasters, including Hurricane Matthew in October 2016, and the outbreak of the cholera epidemic in 2010, which is not yet fully under control. The Government of Haiti will continue to need a high level of support from the international community in order to be able to take the transformative action necessary to unleash the full potential of its people and economy. The report concludes with recommendations addressed to the Haitian authorities, the international community, the United Nations system and other development partners. The recommendations are aimed at making the most of the window of opportunity presented by the successful electoral transition in Haiti, which many agree offers the best chance to date for recovery, reconstruction and the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals, as well as for sustaining peace. The Group believes that developments in Haiti should remain high on the international agenda. E/2017/77 17-10783 2/15 I. Introduction 1. The present report is the thirteenth submitted to the Economic and Social Council by the Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti since its reactivation in 2004 at the request of the Government of Haiti. The Group, which is chaired by Canada, is composed of the Permanent Representatives of Argentina, the Bahamas, Belize, Benin, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, El Salvador, France, Haiti, Mexico, Peru, Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States of America and Uruguay to the United Nations. 2. In its resolution 2016/28, the Economic and Social Council extended the mandate of the Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti until the conclusion of the 2017 session, with the purpose of following closely and providing advice on the long- term development strategy of Haiti in order to promote socioeconomic recovery, reconstruction and stability, with particular attention to the need to ensure coherence and sustainability in international support for the country. The Council requested the Group to submit a report on its activities for consideration at its 2017 session. 3. The report highlights the main findings of the Group following its visits to Washington, D.C. and Haiti in March and May 2017, respectively (see annex). During the Group’s visit to Washington, D.C., members met with representatives of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the American Red Cross and the Organization of American States. 4. Prior to the visit to Haiti, the Group also held meetings with the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Haiti ad interim and with staff from the Executive Office of the Secretary-General to discuss the economic situation in Haiti and the Organization’s new approach to cholera in Haiti. 5. In Haiti, the Group met with the President, the Prime Minister and the Cabinet; senators; members of the Chamber of Deputies; representatives of the Chamber of Commerce; civil society representatives; representatives of the United Nations; and members of the diplomatic community. The Group wishes to express its profound gratitude and appreciation for the constructive and collaborative exchange held between its members and the Haitian authorities. 6. The Group is grateful to the Department of Economic and Social Affairs; the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti; the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary- General, Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator ad interim; the Mission’s staff; and representatives of the international financial institutions for their support and valuable insights. II. Economic, social, natural disaster and environmental context A. Economic and social situation, including education, health and social services Economic considerations 7. Haiti is the only least developed country in the western hemisphere. According to United Nations sources in Haiti, the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew by an estimated 1.4 per cent in fiscal year 2016 as a result of better rainfall, which led to a 3 per cent expansion in the agricultural sector. Agricultural output, E/2017/77 3/15 17-10783 however, remains below the 2013 level, while the Haitian population continues to grow. 8. Low international oil prices have negatively affected concessional financing from the Petrocaribe agreement with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. While Haiti has benefited from lower oil bills, this has been offset by reduced access to financing, which is a major source of revenue for the Government. As a result, public investment contracted by about 20 per cent. 9. The country’s economic outlook was further affected by Hurricane Matthew, in October 2016, with the agricultural sector being the hardest hit. As a consequence, agricultural output may contract by as much as 4 per cent in the 2017 fiscal year. Such effects on the economy need to be mitigated through tangible programmes. Cheaper food imports and a good spring harvest helped to contain inflation during the 2016 fiscal year. 10. The volatile political context also resulted in the depreciation of the gourde against the dollar by an average of 19.5 per cent during 2016, thereby making the economic environment more unpredictable. However, the depreciation is now being controlled more effectively. 11. At the time of reporting, fiscal revenues, as recorded at the end of February 2017, had fallen by 2 per cent year-on-year, while expenditure has increased in order to finance the post-Hurricane Matthew reconstruction needs. The fiscal deficit is expected to widen to around 5 per cent of GDP at the end of the current fiscal year. Social indicators, including education and health 12. Basic social indicators show that there is much to be done to improve the basic quality of life of the Haitian people. World Bank estimates published in 2017 indicate that 59 per cent of the population lives below the national poverty line of $2.42 per day, with chronic malnutrition affecting approximately half the population. The average life expectancy is around 63 years, the infant mortality rate is 125 per 1,000 live births and the maternal mortality rate stands at 523 per 100,000 live births. 13. The education sector in Haiti is highly inefficient, with more than half of the population over the age of 15 being illiterate (51.3 per cent). According to the World Bank, despite increased enrolment of children of primary school age, 30 per cent of high school students expect to drop out in their final year of school. 14. The majority of schools in Haiti are managed by the private sector, making education an expensive, profit-based system that is difficult for many Haitian families to afford. 15. In addition, private and public schools often hire poorly trained teachers, who cannot offer a good quality of education. Since 2014, the Government has announced various policy measures to improve the accountability and quality of the education sector by making sure that all teachers and schools are registered and evaluated by the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training. However, a strategy for financing and implementing such measures is not yet in place. 16. A national strategy for Haiti’s education sector is urgently needed to expand access to primary, secondary and higher education, as well as vocational and technical training. At the same time, there is a need to improve the quality of service in education by enforcing a sector-wide national training policy for teachers and educational staff to strengthen educational services. The education sector also remains highly underfunded, with more than 85 per cent of primary schools E/2017/77 17-10783 4/15 privately managed by non-governmental organizations (NGOs), churches, communities and for‐profit operators. Further support is therefore needed in this area. 17. The Group continues to be concerned about the state of the health sector. According to information provided to the Group and confirmed in reports by the World Bank and the World Health Organization (WHO)/PAHO, Haiti has some of the worst health indicators in the world, which continue to stymie economic development. While Haiti has struggled with poor health outcomes for generations, the health system was further debilitated by the 2010 earthquake, which demolished 50 health centres, part of the country’s primary teaching hospital, and the Ministry of Health and Population building. Only a few months later, Haiti’s health-care network was further affected by the first cholera outbreak in a century. In the wake of Hurricane Matthew, significant challenges remain to further improve water and sanitation services. Increasing access to such services is critical in order to improve health and well-being, in particular in the fight against cholera. It is also reported that government spending on health is low, at 6 per cent of public expenditure, and that the biggest problem is attracting and retaining qualified health professionals, with as few as 6 health professionals per 10,000 people. As a result, roughly 40 per cent of the population lack access to essential health and nutrition services. Moreover, only 45 per cent of all children between the ages of 12 months and 23 months are fully vaccinated and 22 per cent of children under the age of 5 are stunted. WHO/PAHO leadership is needed in the field to improve the coordination and monitoring of the health services, which are provided by a significant number of actors. 18. In discussions with PAHO, it was emphasized that cholera must be eradicated; at the same time new programming should address the health sector broadly as the foundation for sustainable development, with a special focus on the social determinants of health, prevention, access to efficient services of good quality, and emergency preparedness. Consequently, the Group is of the view that the socioeconomic situation and the living conditions of the population, particularly vulnerable groups, need to be given urgent attention. B. Towards a more secure and sustainable future 19. The investments required for enabling Haiti to make progress in poverty eradication and sustainable development cut across all economic enablers and include the improvement of administrative and governance capacity, the provision of adequate physical infrastructure systems and networks, the fulfilment of requirements for skilled manpower and the reform of the existing legal and regulatory frameworks in order to facilitate smooth business operations. The inadequacy and disrepair of basic infrastructure, of the electricity supply, of the public transportation system and of services such as public hospitals, schools, water and sanitation require investments which will be beyond the capacity of the State for some time to come. Administrative and management capacity 20. The new Government in Haiti has expressed its determination and commitment to bring positive change and improve the political and socioeconomic environment so as to promote growth on the basis of inclusive national participation in the economic recovery process, which involves both the domestic and external private sectors. However, it is also clear that the Government has limited capacity to ensure a public administration system that can effectively guarantee the rule of law and a functioning justice system, promote the fight against corruption and E/2017/77 5/15 17-10783 effectively protect human rights. There is, therefore, a strong case for continued support in such areas to assist the Government in enforcing the existing rule of law and justice system and introducing reforms to fill in any gaps in existing frameworks. During the visit, a number of reforms were highlighted as essential to promoting private enterprise and productivity, such as new labour laws, land reform and functional institutions to coordinate development-related priority setting, planning and implementation. 21. The importance of decentralization and support to local governance was also emphasized by many interlocutors, given the historically centralized governmental and administrative structures, located in Port-au-Prince and a few large urban areas only. It is understood that a long-term approach to recovery, reconstruction and sustainable development needs to be more inclusive and cover the whole country. 22. The ability of the Government to mobilize its own resources is severely constrained by poor fiscal management capacity. The potential sources for increasing fiscal revenue are also limited to the oil and electricity areas, which are politically very difficult to change at the moment. Macroeconomic stability was emphasized, especially by the private sector, as a way of ensuring some predictability in key variables such as inflation and the exchange rate of the gourde, without which it is very difficult to do business domestically and to attract foreign direct investment. Productive capacity 23. It was recognized that long-term growth and sustainable development require a boost in the country’s productive capacity. A focus on infrastructure, agriculture and tourism, the diversification of the economy and the strengthening the role of the private sector in general are seen as some of the actions most likely to create employment. This in turn requires improvements to be made in the areas of land tenure and access to credit, disaster risk reduction, infrastructure and the overall administrative and regulatory environment. Given the limited avenues for domestic resource mobilization, international support will be required. The Government has indicated its willingness to assume concessional loans, but it is doubtful that such loans would suffice, given the enormity of the challenges. 24. As an example, agriculture is currently underdeveloped and yet the sector has a lot of potential to produce goods for both domestic consumption and exports. In discussions with a variety of stakeholders, land degradation and land tenure systems were cited as some of the bottlenecks stifling the agricultural sector. The inability to effectively link existing agricultural activity to regional value chains may be a factor that dissuades many people living in poverty from embracing the sector. 25. Productive capacity in the industrial sector is similarly constrained by the lack of domestic and foreign investment, owing to poor infrastructure and inadequate water and electricity supplies. With an estimated 40 per cent of Haitians unemployed, job creation in this sector is vital for poverty reduction. In the early 1980s, the garment sector was a significant source of employment. Since then, employment in that sector has dropped dramatically, as a result of the lack of new investment. There are some favourable external trade opportunities, such as United States trade preference programmes enacted through the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act (HOPE), the extended Act (HOPE II), and the Haiti Economic Lift Program Act of 2010 (HELP), which could potentially make Haiti an attractive place to invest. As a result, the industrial sector is seen as an area that could be further developed to create more jobs, although the rise in the use of artificial intelligence may limit the total number of jobs created. E/2017/77 17-10783 6/15 26. According to the World Bank, the tourism sector is growing, with new hotels built in Port-au-Prince in recent years and an increase in the number of international travellers to the country. Even though the tourism sector has improved, its potential has not been fully exploited because of major challenges in attracting foreigners, among them security, the lack of infrastructure and poor water and electricity supply. Nevertheless, agriculture and tourism are both seen as more promising sectors, in the short term, for creating more significant growth in employment. Electricity 27. Haiti is facing serious challenges in the energy sector. According to the World Bank, only an estimated 38 per cent of Haitians have electricity. Others connect illegally to the electrical grid or use charcoal as a source of domestic energy. The national power utility, Electricité d’Haïti, has encountered difficulties in providing electricity to the entire country. The electrical grids connecting the capital with the rest of the country have become obsolete, providing only a few hours of electricity per day. The current situation causes numerous power cuts and surges, which affect home appliances, and has a negative impact on the business and industrial sectors. Transport 28. According to sources from the Inter-American Development Bank, Haiti has a road system of 3,500 km, with only 15 per cent of the system in decent condition. Road transport is the primary system for commercial transportation, making road infrastructure crucial for economic development. At the same time, Haiti is connected commercially by three international seaports and two international airports. Those ports of entry to the country play an important role in the import and export of goods and the provision of passenger services. Water and sanitation 29. Only 25 per cent of Haitians have access to adequate sanitation, and less than 58 per cent have access to safe water and sanitation services. It is essential to make progress in this area, which is vital for the provision of key social services and the productive sector. Natural disasters and the environment 30. Haiti is a country that is prone to natural disasters, as evidenced by the 2010 earthquake and Hurricane Matthew in October 2016. Hurricane Matthew had a significant impact on the country’s humanitarian situation, mainly in its southern peninsula. It caused hundreds of deaths, widespread damage, flooding and displacement. As a result of the weak prevention, early warning and mitigation plans, that hurricane alone devastated the region, with the International Monetary Fund estimating the damage and loss caused in an amount of $1.9 billion or about 23 per cent of the country’s GDP. Hurricane season starts in June, and the Government has indicated that it does not have the capacity in terms of equipment and personnel to mitigate any disaster that may result. 31. The state of the environment is another serious cause for concern for Haiti. As a result of decades of poor land use and the destruction of forest cover, together with the effects of climate change, land degradation and drought are extensive and, in a country where over 40 per cent of the population currently depends on agriculture, those phenomena have rendered much of the land marginal and incapable of supporting the agrarian population. 32. The state of water resources, which should be a major source of livelihood for an island country, is also a cause for concern. Haiti should potentially be able to tap E/2017/77 7/15 17-10783 its fresh water and marine resources to improve the livelihood of its people through irrigation, fisheries and tourism. The poor state of the country’s watersheds, which have no natural cover and are subject to oversilting and contamination from untreated waste, thereby affecting their overall quality, not only negatively affects households, businesses, farming, fisheries and tourism, but also exacerbates the country’s already high vulnerability to natural disasters. C. Political transition 33. After over two years of political crisis and contested election results, Haiti took a successful step towards political and institutional stability with the successful completion of the electoral process in February 2017. The new Government faces many challenges in transforming electoral success into conditions that would favour full recovery and reconstruction, as well as long-term sustainable economic growth and development. 34. As a result, there is a strong desire among all groups in Haiti for genuine dialogue on a common political vision that can forge consensus on a concrete road map for progress in key areas, including peace and stability, the identification of clear development priorities, the consolidation of public administration, the rule of law, human rights, justice and constitutional reform, and legislation that would address land tenure, labour rights and the creation of an enabling business environment. 35. The Government of Haiti has indicated that its priorities will be guided by reform efforts geared towards achieving sustainable development. Within the context of its economic priorities, the Government intends to focus on the revival of agriculture and, on 1 May 2017, it launched a campaign to increase agricultural productivity and environmental protection, known as “Caravane du changement”. In addition, the Government has included in its strategic plan the following priorities: industrial production; environmental protection; reduction of the trade deficit; the lowering of the cost of living, especially for the most vulnerable groups in society; and improvement of an enabling business climate to attract investment and create jobs. In this context, the Government has submitted to Parliament draft legislation to facilitate the accelerated registration of enterprises, access to credit and equipment for small- and medium-sized enterprises, and transparency in the financial field. 36. The Government’s development vision also places emphasis on improving the quality of and access to education so as to ensure a better future for younger generations and improve human skills, as well as on increasing resilience to the adverse effects of disaster and climate change. Equally important is the need to develop a new sanitation and environmental protection policy regarding the cholera epidemic. 37. In the area of rule of law, the Government is working to consolidate recent achievements in strengthening the rule of law and improving public security, democratic governance and the protection of human rights. It is also ready to implement the reforms necessary for the modernization of the State and the revival of the economy, which is an area where new and innovative measures need to be explored further. 38. The work required to implement such changes is both complex and large in scale. It is the expectation of the Government, therefore, that there will be strengthened, coherent and sustained support from the international community to help implement the objectives and priorities set by the Government. The aim is to usher Haiti into a new era of economic growth and sustainable development, based E/2017/77 17-10783 8/15 on domestic and foreign economic participation, with the goal of creating greater stability in the country so that Haiti can withstand natural disasters, be more resilient and pursue sustainable development in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals. 39. It is clear that disaster risk management and resilience planning need to be integrated into development planning and management at all levels, but the Government does not appear to have the institutional and human resource capacity required to undertake such elaborate coordination and technical tasks. The few coordination bodies that exist seem for the most part to be failing and would need to be rebuilt. 40. Furthermore, Haiti is highly dependent on remittances from its diaspora, whose contribution is estimated at $2 billion annually. Those remittances have helped to support education, health and the subsistence requirements of the population, and could potentially be used to unlock other productive opportunities in agriculture and industry. The Group’s interlocutors in Haiti were concerned that the future of this source of financing could be affected by decisions on the status of migrants in host countries. At all stages of the Group’s engagement in Haiti, there were fervent pleas for fair and orderly handling of the issue. Given the importance of the issue, support in that regard should be encouraged. III. Coherence and coordination among development partners A. Transition from humanitarian assistance to nationally owned development: overview of United Nations system development activities in 2016-2017 41. For more than five years, cooperation between Haiti and the United Nations was guided by the integrated strategic frameworks for the periods 2010-2012 and 2013-2016. That strategic tool has enabled the United Nations to strengthen the coordination of interventions in support of the efforts made by the Government and the people for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the country. However, changes in the national context, weak ownership of the integrated strategic framework by government partners and most United Nations agencies, and weak alignment of the agencies' programmes with the frameworks led to the development of a United Nations Development Assistance Framework for the period 2017-2021. 42. The Development Assistance Framework will also address the transition of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) to the new United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH). A transition plan is being developed to ensure the effective transfer of certain activities to the Government and to United Nations agencies, and to a post-MINUSTAH institutional configuration. 43. Given the cross-cutting nature of the existing humanitarian issues and the humanitarian impact of Hurricane Matthew, as well as the recurrence of humanitarian crises in Haiti, a two-year humanitarian response planning process has been initiated. The humanitarian response plan is a complement to the post-disaster needs assessment, the Development Assistance Framework (2017-2021) and other multilateral and bilateral planning and programming frameworks. As in other fragile countries, the transition from a relief-focused operation — such as the one that followed the earthquake in 2010 — to a longer-term development approach in Haiti should be seen as a conscious effort to forge convergence between humanitarian and development efforts, as they need to be addressed simultaneously. E/2017/77 9/15 17-10783 44. Finally, the United Nations country team in Haiti is in permanent dialogue with the national authorities and the affected communities in efforts to continue to support the National Plan for the Elimination of Cholera in Haiti 2013-2022, including the rapid response to cholera and the medium- and long-term actions to address the root causes of the cholera epidemic and of all waterborne diseases. In August 2016, the Government of Haiti requested the development of a medium-term plan for the elimination of cholera (2016-2018), which was drafted by the Ministry of Health with the support of the United Nations Children’s Fund and WHO/PAHO. It has an estimated budget of $180 million and focuses on three areas, namely, coordination, treatment and prevention of transmission, and improvements to drinking water and sanitation. 45. The United Nations Development Assistance Framework (2017-2021) focuses on five priority areas of intervention, which are in line with the four pillars of the national development plan. The five outcomes below are effectively aligned with national priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals: (a) Equitable access to livelihoods, decent and green jobs and productive resources, for all sectors of the population, especially the most vulnerable groups, in order to reduce poverty in all its forms in a supportive and inclusive socioeconomic and cultural environment; (b) Improved access to and use of equitable and quality basic social services, including education and health for all, for all sectors of the population, especially the most vulnerable groups; (c) Adoption and implementation by public institutions of equity policies and measures to protect and restore the human rights of vulnerable groups, and prevent violence and discrimination against those groups; (d) Strengthening by national, regional and local institutions and civil society of the sustainable management of natural resources and the environment, and of the resilience of urban and rural areas and of the population, especially the most vulnerable groups, to natural disasters, climate change and humanitarian crises, in order to ensure sustainable development; (e) Improvement of the rule of law and decentralization by public institutions and civil society for good governance at all levels of decision-making. B. Security and stabilization efforts to ensure institutional strength: the transition from the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti to the new United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti, and new directions for the United Nations country team 46. While issues linked to the peacekeeping operation are not within its mandate, the Group was briefed on the transition from the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) to the new United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH). MINUJUSTH will be a peacekeeping operation focused on the rule of law, human rights and police, including support for political stability and good governance, electoral oversight and reform. In this regard, Goal 16 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development should be fully pursued. 47. In order to help preserve the legacy of MINUSTAH legacy, a joint MINUSTAH and country team transition plan that builds on the tangible results achieved by MINUSTAH is currently being developed. The plan includes a six- month period of Mission drawdown accompanied by other arrangements, including communications, resource mobilization, the bridging of operational gaps and the E/2017/77 17-10783 10/15 filling of any new responsibilities that may arise as a result of the change to a configuration focused on development needs. 48. The Group welcomes the elaboration of the transition plan as it believes that a seamless transition from MINUSTAH to MINUJUSTH is essential for maintaining the peace and stability required for long-term sustainable development, as outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals. The Group also supports the proposal by the Secretary-General regarding the transfer of many of the essential civilian aspects addressed by MINUSTAH, such as the fight against cholera, to the new country team configuration in Haiti, and encourages further funding for that proposal. It will also be necessary to review the United Nations presence on the ground and the human resources therein in order to determine the new country team composition necessary for the transition to a Mission focused on long-term development needs. This may imply withdrawing or replacing some United Nations entities and missions. C. Aid coordination and effectiveness: Haiti should not be left behind in the accomplishment of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals 49. The Group continues to underscore the need for improved coordination of external support. The External Aid Coordination Framework for the Development of Haiti, serviced by the Ministry of Planning and External Cooperation, has been the framework for external aid coordination in the country since 2012. It should be noted, however, that the joint programme on aid effectiveness, which was supposed to facilitate the functioning of the Framework, has never been finalized or formally endorsed by the Government to serve as a joint road map for aid effectiveness. Furthermore, the Framework has not been utilized within the recent past to coordinate external assistance. 50. The election of the new Government, in February 2017, presents an opportunity to revitalize the various national aid coordination mechanisms. In this context, the Group welcomes the meeting on aid effectiveness held by the Comité d’Efficacité de l’Aide on 16 June 2017, more than three years since the last meeting was organized, which was intended to relaunch coordination efforts on the basis of strong national leadership. Coherence and coordination between all of the agencies of the United Nations system present in the country is a prerequisite for obtaining results. 51. As in the past, the Group emphasizes the importance of ensuring that development partners align their development cooperation activities with Government priorities and strategies in the framework of the 2030 Agenda and the achievement of all of the Sustainable Development Goals. The transition to a more peaceful and stable order should be used to address coordination challenges under stronger national leadership. The United Nations system must demonstrate, through its work in Haiti, the new dimension of the links between security and development as indicated in the resolutions of the General Assembly and Security Council on sustaining peace and in the objectives of the Secretary-General. D. Role of non-governmental actors 52. As in years past, representatives of NGOs and the private sector advocated for their active and significant role in the future development of Haiti, including in transition planning. E/2017/77 11/15 17-10783 53. The Group also took note of the disappointment expressed regarding the international response to the disasters the country has suffered since the earthquake, in 2010, and Hurricane Matthew, in 2016. Representatives of NGOs and the private sector were particularly stinging in their assessment of the handling of the cholera outbreak and the failure, thus far, to provide the funding promised under the new approach to cholera in Haiti. 54. Civil society representatives, including NGOs and the private sector, felt especially encouraged by the strong commitment and leadership of the new Government. Against this positive backdrop, they urged the international community to provide stronger support so as to ensure that the opportunity offered by the new political environment is secured for economic transformation. IV. Conclusions and recommendations 55. Throughout the visit, the Group observed that there is an expectation on the part of the Haitian authorities and other stakeholders that all development partners, including the United Nations system and the Ad Hoc Advisory Group, will play a critical role as advocates for their priorities and in helping to mobilize urgent support to consolidate the successful but precarious electoral transition. Such support will be essential for translating any new strategic development vision into concrete action and results that will revitalize the political system, social services and the productive sectors, on the basis of national priorities for a sustainable development future. 56. The Group would like to draw the attention of the Economic and Social Council to the recommendations below. 57. The Group encourages the Government of Haiti to assume full leadership in and ownership of its national development and, in doing so, to: (a) Elaborate its development priorities, which is vital for managing the smooth transition from humanitarian assistance to a focus on long-term sustainable development based on agriculture and industry; in that regard, existing coordination frameworks should be used to incorporate disaster preparedness, resilience management, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals; (b) Take urgent measures to strengthen public administration, service delivery and public management institutions, on the basis of sound rules and regulatory frameworks; (c) Continue to consolidate the rapid pace at which it is reviewing, reforming and putting in place new frameworks to regulate and manage issues in areas such as the rule of law, justice, land use and tenure, labour, immigration and customs, and public finance; (d) Reinforce and strengthen the rule of law, justice frameworks and the protection of human rights, particularly those of vulnerable groups, so as to enhance peace and stability, as well as revitalize the social contract within Haitian society; (e) Build a national culture of protection from and response to national disasters; (f) Improve hygiene awareness and health education, both of which are essential challenges facing the country; (g) Revisit and revive the External Aid Coordination Framework for the Development of Haiti, working together with all development partners; E/2017/77 17-10783 12/15 (h) Actively engage with civil society and the private sector at all stages of the national development process, including through enhanced support from the international community and the United Nations system; (i) Consider requesting support from the Peacebuilding Commission, including its Peacebuilding Fund‎. 58. The Group believes that the international community can: (a) Consider continuing to extend to the Government of Haiti more stable and predictable funding, which is critical for consolidating the transition to a new post-crisis approach and sustaining a peaceful and stable sustainable development future; (b) Support the strengthening of the country’s national aid coordination mechanism as part and parcel of the process of further elaborating a resilient and sustainable development framework for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and all the Sustainable Development Goals; (c) Continue its efforts to ensure that its development aid is well aligned with the priorities set out by the Government of Haiti; (d) Support the Government’s economic initiatives designed to ensure employment opportunities for returning Haitian migrants, recognizing the financial contribution migrants and the diaspora provide through their remittances; (e) Support the Government in overcoming the many challenges it faces and in taking full advantage of the window of opportunity presented by the transition to an elected government; (f) Explore innovative forms of cooperation and new partnerships for sustainable development; (g) Work with the neighbouring country to formulate an island-wide resilience plan for responding to natural disasters and to establish a national emergency response. 59. With regard to the United Nations and other development partners, the Group recommends that: (a) The United Nations country team continue to play a leading role in supporting the social and economic development of Haiti; the role of the Resident Coordinator in the evolving reconfiguration should be strengthened and, in this regard, consideration should be given to better funding of the Resident Coordinator’s office so that it can play a more effective coordination role; (b) Coordination of all United Nations actors on the ground in Haiti be strengthened, in a “One United Nations” model, including with the international financial institutions, in order to better synergize efforts and ensure better coordinated, coherent and more effective support for national development efforts, which is especially crucial in the context of the gradual shift from humanitarian approaches to long-term sustainable development. This will also necessitate increased flexibility regarding United Nations presence and support based on the priorities of the Government of Haiti; (c) The United Nations system in Haiti support more inclusive and broader consultation with the Government and all stakeholders on the management of the transition from MINUSTAH to MINUJUSTH, which is necessary to promote a smoother and fully owned transition process, and to give the progress that was achieved in areas such as peace and stability, recovery from natural disasters, E/2017/77 13/15 17-10783 improvements in national resilience plans to natural disasters and the fight against cholera a better chance of survival beyond the transition; (d) Development support target, as a matter of priority, capacity-building, data collection and analysis and policy advice at the national and local government levels; (e) Development support be well aligned with the priorities set out by the Government of Haiti; (f) The Economic and Social Council and the Ad Hoc Advisory Group continue to play a critical role in advocating for the long-term development needs of Haiti with particular attention focused on ending extreme poverty and helping to obtain the support needed to consolidate the successful but precarious electoral transition, which requires using every available platform to communicate and mobilize action by different stakeholders at the global level. E/2017/77 17-10783 14/15 Annex Programme of the visits of the Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti to Washington, D.C., and Haiti Visit to Washington, D.C., 29 March 2017 10.30 a.m. Meeting with representatives of the international financial institutions (Inter-American Development Bank, World Bank and International Monetary Fund) 12.45 p.m. Working lunch with representatives of the Pan American Health Organization/ World Health Organization and American Red Cross 2.30 p.m. Meetings at the Organization of American States: • Briefing by the Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs and Haiti Special Coordinator of the United States of America • Presentations and exchange with directors of the Secretariat of the Organization of American States on the work of the Organization in Haiti • Exchange with representatives of permanent missions and permanent observers to the Organization of American States that are members of the Core Group on Haiti Visit to Haiti, 8-10 May 2017 Monday, 8 May 2017 (in Port-au-Prince) 11.45 a.m. Welcoming of the delegation of the Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti by the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Haiti to the United Nations and the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator ad interim 12-1 p.m. Briefing on the political context, transition and the rule of law 2-3.30 p.m. Meeting with the United Nations country team 4-5 p.m. Meeting with representatives of the Chamber of Commerce Tuesday, 9 May 2017 8-9.30 a.m. Visit to an agricultural site managed by the Association nationale des producteurs agricoles pour l’avancement de l’agriculture en Haïti 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Visit to the HM Group Industrial Park 2-3 p.m. Meeting with the President and members of the Haitian Chamber of Deputies 3-4 p.m. Meeting with the President of the Haitian Senate and senators 4.30-6 p.m. Meeting with the President of Haiti, the Prime Minister and members of the Cabinet 6-6.45 p.m. Press stakeout E/2017/77 15/15 17-10783 Wednesday, 10 May 2017 8.30-9.30 a.m. Meeting with members of the diplomatic corps in Haiti 9.45-10.45 a.m. Meeting with representatives of civil society 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Debriefing with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator ad interim