Haiti - Elections: Already $38M Confirmed

Haiti - Elections : Already $38M confirmed
(Haiti Libre) - 11/03/2015 12:51:18

Tuesday, the Ambassador of Japan to Haiti, his Excellency Mr. Katsuyoshi Tamura and Senior Country Director of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Mrs. Sophie de Caen signed two funding agreements worth US$8.4 million to support elections and build resilience in Haiti.

An initial contribution of US$4.5 million will support technical and material assistance to the country’s upcoming elections, as well as boosting Haiti’s electoral systems.

With these $4.5 million, it is now 37.9 million dollars, which are confirmed for the upcoming elections: 13.8 million US dollarsfinanced by Haiti (36.4%), 6.8 million of the European Union, 6,5 million of the United States, 5.3 million of Canada and 1 million of Brazil although the budget of the elections is not yet known. Recall that this Wednesday the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) talks with political parties about the Electoral timetable before establishing the final timetable. It is only after this stage that the CEP will proceed to the estimated costs and the development of the upcoming electoral budget.

UNDP manages the fund to support the electoral process by the Government of Haiti and its financial partners in consultation with the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP). The organisation is supporting the promotion of inclusive, transparent elections through training professional members of the electoral administration and through technical, strategic and operational assistance for the organisation of the elections. The $4.5 million provided by Japan will help ensure the election meets international standards, through purchasing electoral equipment and supporting the electoral administration in preparing for and managing the election.

Moreover, in the second agreement, $3.9 million will go towards boosting the resilience of vulnerable groups through a UNDP-led risk and disaster management project that works at the national and local levels. The 30 month project aims to develop and spread detailed knowledge about the risks and vulnerabilities to the main towns in Haiti’s north and north-eastern regions. It will also help implement risk mitigation activities and build capacity at national and regional level.

About these two new commitments, the Ambassador Katsuyoshi Tamura declared "The organisation of free, inclusive and transparent elections is a necessity. But it is also our duty to show solidarity with the nations of the world which, like ours, have to deal with natural disasters. With this funding, Japan is renewing its friendship with Haiti through the proven and acknowledged expertise of the UNDP in these two fields."

"The Government of Haiti trusts Japan and UNDP as partners and welcomes this new commitment. The Haitian authorities will provide all the necessary support to implement the projects," declared Ariel Henry, Haiti’s Interior Minister for Territorial Collectivities.

The risk management project targets 100,000 direct beneficiaries and will be implemented through a participative community-based approach. It includes a training component for construction industry professionals on earthquake-resistant building techniques, as well as strengthening of community radio.

To ensure greater direct participation by communities and the strengthening of their resilience to disasters, UNDP works with decentralised levels of the national risk and disaster management system alongside the British branch of OXFAM, which is taking a leading role in this field in the north and north-east of the country.