On the sidelines of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) meetings, Sandra Paulemon, Minister of Planning and External Cooperation, met earlier this week at the headquarters of the Permanent Mission of Haiti to the United Nations with Kiyoto Tsuji, the Japanese Minister of the Environment.

During their discussions, Minister Paulemon expressed, on behalf of the Government, Haiti’s profound gratitude to the Japanese Government for its continued support, particularly following the devastating 2010 earthquake, for which Japan mobilized over $100 million in donations, technical cooperation, humanitarian aid, and reconstruction support.

The Minister emphasized that Japanese cooperation has yielded concrete results in sectors that directly contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals, such as public health, education, agriculture, infrastructure, and disaster risk reduction. She cited projects such as the reconstruction and equipping of the Jacmel hospital, the rehabilitation of the Léogâne water supply system, the construction and rehabilitation of schools, agricultural extension programs, and disaster preparedness initiatives.

Sandra Paulemon presented the main directions of the Economic, Social, and Territorial Stabilization and Recovery Program (PNSREST), currently being prepared by the Government. She invited Japan to join this effort by contributing to the common financing mechanism (Basket Fund) designed to support the country's recovery priorities. She also requested budgetary support from Japan for the 2026-2027 budget, which is already being prepared.

In this same vein, she asked the Japanese government to explore the possibility of resuming its humanitarian aid program to Haiti, implemented through the Bureau for the Monetization of Development Assistance Programs (BMPAD), which has been suspended since 2020. She emphasized the importance of reactivating this mechanism to support vulnerable populations and strengthen the government's efforts in economic and social recovery. https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-47957-haiti-japan-major-progress-in-the-process-of-reviving-bilateral-cooperation.html

She also requested support from Japan in the areas of technology and innovation. She noted that Japan's experience in technological transformation, resilience, and risk management serves as an international benchmark from which Haiti wishes to draw inspiration to strengthen its institutional capacities and improve the effectiveness of its public policies.

Minister Tsuji commended the excellent diplomatic relations between the two countries and recalled that, despite the devastating consequences of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the Haitian people demonstrated their solidarity with Japan after the earthquake and tsunami that struck their country in 2011.

Tsuji also indicated that the Japanese government would give the utmost attention to the various requests made by the Haitian delegation, both in terms of technological support and participation in the Economic, Social, and Territorial Stabilization and Recovery Program.

He responded favorably to the Minister's request to consider resuming Japanese humanitarian aid through the Bureau for the Monetization of Development Assistance Programs (BMPAD). The Japanese Minister specified that these proposals would be studied in consultation with the Embassy of Japan in Haiti to identify the most appropriate forms of support.

The Ministry of Planning will continue discussions with Japanese authorities to transform the proposed prospects into structuring projects capable of sustainably supporting Haiti's stabilization, economic and social recovery, and development efforts.

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-47957-haiti-japan-major-progress-in-the-process-of-reviving-bilateral-cooperation.html

HL/ S/ HaitiLibre