Wednesday, Christian Paradis, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, participated in a round table with members of the Haitian-Canadian community in Montréal to discuss ongoing challenges for Haiti in creating the conditions necessary for sustainable economic growth and private sector development, as well as the ongoing humanitarian needs in Haiti.

"Canada continues to be concerned by the ongoing challenges facing the Haitian people [...] Although hundreds of thousands of Haitians are now settled in new homes, unfortunately thousands still remain internally displaced. These people need access to safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, and primary health care as well as support to help eliminate cholera. We want to ensure that their needs are being met and that Canada’s investments in Haiti are delivering concrete results," decalred Minister Paradis.

The Minister also consulted with Quebec non-governmental and civil society organizations. Discussions touched on Canada's leadership role on maternal, newborn and child health initiatives and how to ensure that global commitments deliver real results to those in need while remaining accountable to Canadian taxpayers. Canada is committed to scaling up interventions that will have the greatest impact, including in the areas of nutrition, vaccination and newborn health.

After the round tables, Minister Paradis announced funding to Oxfam-Québec for activities being undertaken, in collaboration with Médecins du Monde, that are improving access to safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, as well as primary health care and treatment for water-borne diseases for internally displaced people in Haiti. He also affirmed Canada’s support of the upcoming elections in Haiti through the United Nations Development Program and the National Democratic Institute. "Canada is committed to advancing democracy and good governance in the world,” added the Minister [...] We continue to call on all Haitian political actors to take the necessary steps for fair, transparent and inclusive elections in 2014."

HL/ HaitiLibre