26746: Arthur (news) Latortue calls on UNIDO to come and help Haiti (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: haitisupport@gn.apc.org

Latortue calls on UNIDO to come and help Haiti

Monday 28 November 2005



By Charles Arthur

Vienna, 28 Nov. 05 [AlterPresse] --- Addressing the opening session of the
United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in Vienna, Austria,
interim prime minister, Gérard Latortue, today said the UN agency should end
its neglect of Haiti.

At a press conference the same day, Latortue told AlterPresse that he would be
speaking to the current UNIDO director-general, Dr. Carlos Magariños, and his
designated successor, Dr. Kandeh Yumkella, while in Vienna, and would ask the
agency to assist in three particular areas. "UNIDO can help with investment,
and specifically with the construction and agro-industry sectors," he stated.

Regarding the first focal point, Latortue said his government had recently
established a facilitating office to help potential investors get around
administrative and structural obstacles, and UNIDO could help to consolidate
this office.

As for the construction industry, the prime minister said that with UNIDO?s
help, Haiti could revive its cement production, and within five years could
transform itself from an importer to an exporter of cement. Mr Latortue also
noted that Haiti needs to produce its own cement as part of the effort to
construct more roads throughout the country. "In Haiti, we need cement roads
because we don?t produce asphalt and, in any case, such roads don?t survive in
Haiti because we have no maintenance culture. "

Thirdly, he drew attention to a new partnership with the government of Brazil to
transform tropical fruits into more easily marketable exports. For example, he
said UNIDO could provide expertise and advice on ways to transform mangoes -
which often perish before they can be delivered to export markets - into juice
or dried fruit which can then be transported to overseas markets much more
easily.

Latortue told AlterPresse that he hopes to conclude a protocol of agreement with
UNIDO later today, and that he would be inviting a UNIDO assessment mission to
visit the country in January 2006 to prepare for the eventual establishment of
a field office in Haiti.

During his address to the opening session of the UNIDO conference, Latortue
noted that UNIDO - which is responsible for promoting industrialization
throughout the developing world - had been "practically absent" from Haiti over
the last ten years.

The interim prime minister, who himself worked for UNIDO for twenty-two years,
said that now that the country is "in the process of a successful transition to
democracy by organizing free and fair elections on 8 January and 15 February
2006, the time has come for UNIDO to consider setting up an office in Haiti,
from where it can cover the whole Caribbean region".

Latortue said that, as the only Least Developed Country in the Latin America and
Caribbean region, Haiti needs UNIDO.

Latortue had expressed his hope that UNIDO would join with the UNDP and other
friends of Haiti in implementing the Interim Cooperation Framework (ICF) for
economic development. Questioned on the lack of civil society consultation
during the ICF process in 2004, Mr Latortue remembered that US President
Clinton had once labeled these people, the "Morally Repugnant Elite". He stated
that the private sector had failed to do anything for economic development in
Haiti for decades, but that as soon as there were discussions on economic
planning, the chambers of commerce from certain regions in the country wanted
to exercise control.

When asked about the failure of the ICF process to consult with civil society
organizations representing the majority population, such as peasant
organizations and local non-governmental organizations, Latortue replied,
"There really aren?t many organizations of that type in Haiti. There are really
very few peasant organizations. But I do work with Chavannes Jean-Baptiste, the
leader of the Papay Peasant Movement (MPP), and, as far as peasant
organizations go, he is the one."

The interim prime minister told AlterPresse that Chavannes Jean-Baptiste was one
of his many consultants, and that many other experts who had been ignored by the
Aristide government were now being consulted. He said, "We have made a start at
consultation, and let?s say its about 10-15%. I hope the next government takes
it forward to 50%".

Finally, returning to the question of economic development in Haiti, Mr Latortue
said he was hopeful that the HOPE Act [1] - US legislation to give textiles
assembled in Haiti preferential access to the US market - would be passed by
the US Congress before the end of the year. This measure would, he said, go
some way to restoring the health of the textile assembly industry in Haiti.

He also stressed that an improvement in the security situation, and the
completion of an ambitious road-building program, would hopefully permit Haiti
to benefit from a revival in tourism. "We have an huge island the size of
Guadeloupe, just off the coast of Port-au-Prince, that is virgin territory",
said Latortue. "Imagine a golf course and hotels on La Gonâve, - the same sort
of development that they have at Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic!"

Responding to a question from the Austrian state television company, ORF, about
his plans for the future in relation to the repeatedly delayed elections to
elect a new government, Latortue said he would resign on 7 February 2006 as he
had always said he would. "We will hold the reins until the new government
takes power on 24 February, but there will be no new initiatives or new
legislation after 7 February." [ca gp apr 11/28/2005 11:35]



[1] The HOPE Act is the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership
Encouragement Act



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