Business Event in Support

of Sustainable Development

A Private Sector-Led Strategy for Investment and  Sustainable Development of Haiti

(A Side Event at the UN Global Compact

Leaders’ Summit 2010)

June 24, 2010, Marriott Marquis New York, 17:45-19:00

Open to Summit Participants Only

For more Information on the Summit:  Please Visit www.leaderssummit2010.org

Hosted by: 

United Nations Association Haiti, UNA-USA Business Council for the United Nations, Sustainable Haiti Coalition, and Fairleigh Dickinson University, in collaboration with the Clinton Foundation.

Context:

A dynamic and interactive discussion with corporate leaders to engage a powerful vision and unprecedented multi-level strategy to propel the private sector as the driving force to foster sustainable growth and employment in Haiti through innovative financial solutions. In this forum, we will discuss new methods for collaborative partnership investing, including but not limited to leveraging public sector financing for infrastructure development, Diaspora participation, and creating a network economy to facilitate capital flow. The format of the event is a roundtable discussion for business leaders to express their interests and discuss the emergence of a socially-responsible private sector strategy to foster the development of secure and sustainable opportunities in Haiti. 

The meeting is proposed as a first of a series of consultations to be held with leading public and private sector organizations that are either involved or interested in reconstruction and nation-building in Haiti or have championed development in other countries facing similar circumstances. 

These consultations are aimed at promoting new public-private sector financing, collaborative mechanisms, strengthening multilateral and regional development financial-institution support of private sector investments.  It is designed to be consistent with the spirit of the work of the Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations in the following ways:

• Provide a forum for Public and Private Sector Interlocutors to participate in on-going reconstruction efforts.

• Mobilize diaspora, international, and domestic private sector financing for innovative projects with long-term sustainable outcomes.

Operating Principles:

• Cross-sector partnership:  NGO/Academic/Religious/Public/Private /Civil Society

• Haiti-led but engaging the diaspora community as well

• Capacity building for both global and local economic development

• Focused on long-term triple bottom line outcomes—people, planet, profit (or economy, ecology, and equity).

Private-sector involvement is essential to moving Haiti from an aid-dependent society to one that is economically self-sustaining, environmentally regenerative, culturally dynamic, and socially stable. The reconstruction of Haiti offers numerous opportunities for private investors, providing mechanisms can be found to guarantee positive economic outcomes.
Who Will Participate

• Corporate Leaders
• Government and International Agency Leaders
• Major NGOs
• Representatives of all sectors of Haitian society

Desired Outcomes

1. Private Sector Consultation Panel on Haiti: A process led by UNA-Haiti modeled around the “Monterrey business interlocutor process” involving on-going consultation between the private sector and international organizations.

1. Sustainable Haiti Coalition:  Effective mechanism for a private-sector led holistic strategy to support the Action Plan for National Recovery and Development of Haiti and Haitian Interim Reconstruction Commission (HIRC) employing the principles and best emerging practices of sustainable design on behalf of the positive future of Haiti and with application to similar needs worldwide in the developing world.

1. Develop a Diaspora-based investment vehicle for Haiti linking markets abroad with economic activities in Haiti, Projects in reforestation, telecom and ICT, ecotourism, media and entertainment through investment and investment funds.

1. Commitment from private sector.

Program Agenda

1. Welcome,  UNA-Haiti, UNA-USA/Business Council for the UN, Sustainable Haiti Coalition, Fairleigh Dickinson University.

1. Acknowledgements: Senior Members of the Clinton Global Initiative; Dr. Hamadoun I. Touré, Secretary General of the International Telecommunications Union; Lord Hastings, KPMG International; Robert Greenhill, World Economic Forum; and many others.

1. Engaging private sector at the highest level to lead an economic surge in Haiti –  Harvey Dupiton, Secretary General, UNA-Haiti  (10 minutes)

1. Working for a better Haiti—The Sustainable Haiti Coalition Process – Jonathan Cloud, Fairleigh Dickinson University (10 minutes)

1. Roundtable Discussion to debate, enhance, strengthen the proposed processes. — Moderator Doug Cohen, Sustainable Haiti Coalition.

1. Proposed Actions / Commitments: Support the Private Sector Consultative Process and the Sustainable Haiti Coalition

1. Follow up Actions

All interested participants will be invited to reconvene at a later date to continue these very important and ongoing discussions, and to contribute in a tangible manner to this sustainable redevelopment effort, in a way that ensures long-term benefits to the community and to the private sector both in Haiti and internationally.

_______________________________________________

Haiti Prayer Service & Olympic Rally

Occasion of Six-Month-Earthquake Anniversary

Date of Event : Monday July 12, 2010

Venue:  Saint Patrick’s Cathedral (NY)

@ 51st St & 5th Ave

Time: 4 :30pm-5 :10pm

ALL ARE INVITED

United Nations Association Haiti will mark the six-month anniversary of the tragic earthquake that killed more than 250,000 in Haiti on January 12, 2010 with a prayer service & rally on July 12, 2010 in New York City.   At exactly 4:53pm, the time the earthquake struck, a moment of silence will be observed.

Among those invited to join this occasion are dignitaries including the Mayor of the City of New York, the Archbishop of New York, Regional Bishop of Brooklyn & Founder of the National Haitian Apostolate, the Secretary General of the United Nations, Chairman of the New York Stock Exchange, the president of New York Special Olympics, and other special guests. 

The occasion will be used to rally support for a much deserved nation-wide event-- the Haiti 2010 Street Olympic (Olympic website, www.surgeforhaiti.org)--scheduled to take place in Haiti this August.  The Olympic is an investment in Haiti’s future that has been months in the making and has already involved  the effort and vision of hundreds of collaborators, and is aimed at giving Haiti’s children, especially the disabled, a sporting chance this summer, starting in August.  While the immediate goal of an « Olympic » is simply to afford the youth access to various sporting and educational activities this summer and beyond,   its raison d’etre is a vision of a better future for those young people.  At stake according to UNA-Haiti is the state of a nation--- a nation where poverty is still outracing progress and where the national spirit is at a low.  (Not even the turn of events at the World Cup in South Africa is favorable to the Haitian people who for the most part are passionate fans of Brazil, Argentina & Italy by order of preference).  But perhaps the greatest current concern is the failure to this point to capitalize on the wave of good will and man power manifested by Haitians in the Diaspora in the wake of  that horrific earthquake of January 12, nearly six months ago.  The Olympic is a Rally Point for all who want to help Haiti, to be able to help hands-on as volunteers.  In the words of  the Most Reverend Guy Sansaricq,  “The (Olympic) Program (I hope) will prepare the upcoming generation of Haitians to appreciate the importance of effort and discipline in the pursuit of national reconstruction. ” 

United Nations Association Haiti is inviting all to pray for Haiti and to mobilize support for the Haiti 2010 Street Olympic.  UNA-Haiti believes that investment in children everywhere is priority #1 and that this priority has a special urgency in Haiti where half of the country’s population is under the age of 17. 

The response to our first event was overwhelming!

To be included in our next activity, please become a member.

View Final Conference Program 2/24/10

Many thanks for the following materials and important updated reports, courtesy of speaker Katleen Felix of Fonkoze:

USAID-DCHA Haiti Earthquake Fact Sheet #40 – updated 2/25/10

USAID Cluster contact list 2/25/10

Information on microloans and other crucial Fonkoze services in Haiti

Information about Zafen.org