A lack of coordination among aid groups and Haitian leaders is hurting efforts to ease poverty in the Caribbean nation, Bill Clinton said as he wrapped up his first trip here as a special UN envoy.
The former US president, who was named to the new post in May, said during the three-day tour that some of his chief goals as envoy are attracting investment and making existing aid more effective.
After closed-door meetings with nongovernmental organisations and business owners, Clinton said the country would benefit from more communication among key players as it tries to overcome some of the worst poverty in the Western Hemisphere.
"A big challenge is how little the investor community, all the elements of the government including the legislative branch, and the NGO community seem to have talked and absorbed each other's lessons," Clinton told reporters as he left for the airport and Washington.
In a reflection of the depth and variety of emergencies challenging Haiti, organisations on hand for Wednesday's meeting ranged from advocates trying to improve a fee-based hospital system that leaves millions without care, to small environmental NGOS, the Inter-American Development Bank and a US-funded bank that gives microfinance loans.
Participants told Clinton their needs were not being met despite millions of aid dollars pledged by the international community. Some called for an NGO registry so that organisations can avoid overlapping tasks.
"All these people have a piece of the truth, a piece of the vision for Haiti's future," said Clinton, who was named envoy to Haiti by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon two months after the pair toured the capital, Port-au-Prince.
While frustrations run high, many at the meetings said they are encouraged by Clinton's presence.
"His commitment is a personal one, it's from the heart," said Gregory Mevs, a Haitian shipping magnate. "He gets the country."
Clinton's visit included meetings with President Rene Preval and stops in the hurricane-ravaged city of Gonaives. He said he is encouraged by the disaster-prevention and job-creation efforts he saw but added that Haiti needs more money and coordination among aid groups and the government to spur development.
Also Wednesday, the Paris Club of creditor nations said it has cancelled US$62.73 million of debt and that members had reached bilateral agreements with Haiti to cancel the remaining US$152 million of debt Haiti owes.
This follows the cancellation of US$1.2 billion in debt last month by the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and Inter-American Development Bank.
AP