a1476: President Aristide's speech at UN Conference on Poverty andDevelopment (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: MKarshan@aol.com

HAITI
Mr. Jean-Bertrand Aristide
President of Haiti
Speech
United Nations Conference on Poverty and Development
Monterrey, Mexico
March 18-22, 2002

I am honored to salute you in the name of the Haitian people who will
celebrate their independence bicentennial in two years. Those two hundred
years of independence are the symbol of an historical transition towards a
lasting development. Although we are rich in human, cultural and historic
values, our economic index remains part of the 48 poorest countries whose
national gross product equals the assets of the three richest men in the
world.


Yes, in the world today, a fifth of the population still lives in utter
destitution. The weight of the exterior debt is a very heavy one. We feel the
pain of the 800 million people who suffer from hunger, like the pain of the
850 million who are illiterate, because when one man suffers, all men suffer.

In this context, the Monterrey spirit gives us energy because we are talking
about lasting development on a national and world wide scale. There we find
the options we have chosen for more than a decade, such as investment in the
human capital, respect of human rights and fundamental liberties, the battle
against corruption, the battle against drug trafficking and terrorism, the
rational use of public resources implying more and more transparency,
participation and justice.

In order to get to this lasting development, we need to leave the doors to
dialogue always open.  In the spirit of this opening and compromise for peace
and a cohesive social policy, we will have elections in November 2002 or in
the first semester in the year 2003.

While we patriotically greet the seven Senators who resigned and all the
other Senators and Deputies who accepted to forego two years of their
mandate, we want to thank CARICOM and our foreign friends who, united with
the Haitian people, asked that the economic sanctions against Haiti be lifted.

As we get closer to the end of the crisis, we want to express more and more
gratitude to our friends from the international community who are walking
with us towards the exit. Just yesterday, here on this stand, President
Hipolito Mejia reminded everyone how this solidarity is precious and urgent.

Indeed, the harmonious relations between the Dominican Republic and Haiti
show our will to promote peace, democratic culture and lasting development on
the entire Island.  So we promise to stimulate the market and prepare
favorable settings for a partnership between the public and private sectors
for investment, economic and human growth.

We are happy to see hope guiding our steps in the wake of Monterrey, while we
wait for the emergence of a fair economic system open to all. So Haiti is
ready to warmly welcome all of you who will come to visit us for our
bicentennial of our independence.

Thank you.

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