MIAMI, F.L., December 12, 2010 – In what was expected to be a staid opening session to the Haiti Reconstruction Conference this past Thursday, instead the event was plagued by breaches of security, open contention between delegations, and general theatricality, casting doubts on the efficacy of the conference and its likelihood for success.
“This is the best conference I have ever been to,” Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Republic of China (Taiwan), Timothy Yang, said sarcastically in his opening statement.
Eleven months ago today on Jan. 12 an earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale erupted in Haiti, leaving over 200,000 dead, as many injured, and 1.5 million people homeless. The natural disaster also caused $8 billion in damages, destroying over 100,000 homes, and 1,300 schools, 50 hospitals, as well as government ministries, Parliament and the Presidential Palace.
In March, the international community came together for a donors conference to discuss collaboration on rebuilding the battered island nation both for emergency post-earthquake relief and long-term reconstruction. The attendees endorsed the Haitian government’s “Action Plan for National Recovery and Development of Haiti” and pledged $5.3 billion in aid to Haiti.
The Action Plan outlined “immediate actions for the future” across four fields – territorial, economic, social, and institutional reconstruction – and requested $11.5 billion in international aid to meet these goals. This week’s conference in Miami convened nearly 70 delegates representing countries, international organizations, local and international businesses and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and charitable foundations in an effort to better coordinate implementation of the Action Plan’s agenda.
As a sign of the conference’s general disarray, the exact purpose of the meeting was unclear to all attendees and was reiterated at the commencement of Thursday’s session.
“This conference is about implementing the policies we devised in March, not about coming up with new policies,” UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon belatedly informed the delegates. Ban is co-hosting the conference with Haitian President Rene Preval, UN Special Envoy to Haiti former president Bill Clinton, and his wife, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Just moments before, as the conferees were entering the auditorium, a group of pro-democracy Venezuelan-Americans protesting the arrival of uninvited guest Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez entered the plenary to jeer and taunt the dictator with handmade signs and slogans. (Watch video.)
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| Venezuela-American protesters greet the delegates with handmade signs and anti-Chavez cheers |
Later in the conference, in the midst of the Dominican delegation’s statement, tens of anarchists claiming to be from the secret-divulging website WikiLeaks invaded the auditorium and ran amok, throwing empty sheets of paper at the conferees, only to be escorted out by the Haitian National Police representative. (Watch video.) It is unclear why no security detail was hired for the proceedings.
This was not the first sign of lax safeguards. Earlier in the week, the conference’s confidential cable network was breached by an anonymous hacker calling for the ouster of Haiti presidential candidate Mirlande Manigat from the event.
Beyond this political theater, the conference was also the sight of bitter contention. Though uninvited, President Chavez – introduced by his foreign minister as the “Great Leader of Venezuela and the free world” – was allowed to address the forum, and immediately launched into one of his characteristic anti-American rants.
“I am here despite the mercenary protest outside by these Yanqui imperialists to demonstrate the commitment of the Bolivarian Republic to the Haitian people. President Preval, Prime Minster Bellerive, we are here to act as you direct, not to promote an interventionist agenda,” the dictator said. He then called for the removal of American soldiers in Haiti sent to preserve law-and-order in the fragile society.
His remarks drew quick rejoinders from American representatives.
“Contrary to what some other delegates might presuppose, the U.S. military is here simply and only at the behest of the Haitian government,” Army General Morgan Greene of SOUTHCOM said as he took the floor. (Sidebar: Conference divides into two camps.)
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| Andrew Kim of USAID addresses the delegates on behalf of the U.S. government |
With such fault lines it is unclear whether the delegates can come together and reach consensus by the end of the conference, where a final implementation plan will be signed by the delegates.
“Ultimately this is a non-binding policy consensus document and if the past is any indication, it won’t be a particularly strong document,” Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), whose district is hosting the conference said in an interview Friday. “Whenever you have to compromise with such a diverse group, you’re going to have a watered-down final draft.”
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| Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen thunders back at President Chavez. "Talk is cheap," she said in her opening statement. |
This uncertainty is compounded by the structure of the conference itself, which only provides for one day of working group sessions. These will take place five days after the opening plenary and just two days before the final plan is published.
Additionally, the final document – which is supposed to reflect delegates’ consensus– will not be voted on before it is signed. Representatives who do not wish to sign can only note their reservations.
This has caused some consternation amid U.S. delegates.
“To be honest, as the sole Republican in the American delegation, I’m not particularly excited about that. It sounds to me like a power-grab,” Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen said.
Despite these chords of tension and lack of faith in the system, there is some general agreement on a number of principles going forward. Nearly all delegates – to the point of excess – expressed desire for long-term “capacity-building” in Haiti, rather than concentration on post-quake assistance. There were also united voices in calling for empowered local government in Haiti, NGO transparency and coordination through the Haitian government, and channeling aid through existing international mechanisms such as the Haiti Reconstruction Fund. This would reduce the likelihood of corruption, which is endemic in Haiti and has plagued international aid to the country for decades.
It remains to be seen if these consensus points can be backed not just by rhetoric but by actual substance. The final presenter, Stefano Zannini of Doctors without Borders, summed it potently.
“Let’s stop with the meetings, let’s stop with the debates, [and] let’s stop with the press conferences. Let’s actually get to work.”
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