In his fact on Governance in Haiti (2013), carried out using data from UN agencies present in Haiti (MINUSTAH, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UNICEF and the International Organization for Migration (IOM)) the United Nations emphasize that "institutional governance remains a major challenge in Haiti."

State revenues barely cover the operational needs of ministries and state entities, and the Triennial Investment Plan (PTI) for 2014-2016 relies heavily on external resources such as donor funding and PetroCaribe loans. Access to state services generally remains highly insufficient and varies greatly from one region to another. However, positive steps have been taken. The first interna- tional meeting of the national coordination framework of external development aid in Haiti (CAED) took place on the 10th of May 2013. It represents an important achievement towards greater alignment of external funds and the Government priorities. Progress was also made regarding the state reform agenda.

FACTS and FIGURES :

At the central level:

• Establishment of the Transitional College of the Permanent Electoral Council (CTCEP) in April 2013. ;

• Publication of the new Electoral Law in December 2013 in the official newspaper "Le Moniteur" ;

• 8,700 people participated in 121 municipal or district fora on issues of governance across the country ;

• Set-up and implementation of the " Groupe de Bailleurs pour le Renforcement de la Gouvernance Locale " (GBGL), a coordination mechanism of donors supporting local governance ;

• Strengthening of the judicial inspectorate through the ‘PACTE Justice’ capacity-building plan, which plans the budgets of the Ministry of Justice’s Directorates and Ser- vices at five-year projections ;

• The framework for external development aid coordination in Haiti made a leap forward in 2013 with the first meeting of its Aid Effectiveness Committee (CEA). Implemented by the Ministry of Planning and External Cooperation, the CEA, a strategic forum bringing together the Haitian Government and its financial partners, has identified action priorities for effective and sustainable development. The external aid management module, a database on fun- ding from the international community, is now online and should improve the management of external aid and its integration into the State’s budget  ;

• Setting-up of the software programs from the SIGOB initiative – a computer and policy agenda to manage all connections of a public institution – at the Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Justice, hence promoting the strengthening of its executive power.

At the departmental level :

• Technical support for the development, analysis and validation of 140 municipal budgets, and development of action plans for 40 municipalities and 42 vice-delegations through an institutional participatory diagnosis ;

• 14 municipal buildings, one delegation and 2 vice-delegations built with UN support ;

• Training of the country’s 75 Ministry of national education and professional training (MENFP) inspectors and planners. All 10 decentralized MENFP structures are reinforced to enhance regulation, planning, budgeting and governance ;

• Rehabilitation of the Western department offices of the Office of Civil Protection ;

• Support to MICT for the development and implementation of Programme of Intervention North & North-east (PINNE) inclu- ding recruitment and training of 112 key municipal posts.

Challenges and Opportunities :

"If 2013 has seen encouraging progress, many challenges persist, including the implementation of public administration reform, public finances and the development of more transparent procurement processes. In 2014, it will be key that the Government completes the reform processes initiated in the past couple of years.

All actors in Haiti, especially international partners, including the UN, should accompany state institutions and Haitian civil society towards strengthened capacities in order to enable true national leadership on development issues.

This cross-cutting priority will be taken into account when revising the Integrated Strategic Framework of the UN system in Haiti for 2013-2016, in order to align it further with the priorities of the Government of Haiti for 2014-2016."

HL/ HaitiLibre