Donors Conference on Haiti
The international community comes together today for a Donors Conference on Haiti at the United Nations in New York. ”We are completely focused on how to build the capacity of the Haitian government effectively,” said Cheryl Mills, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s chief of staff. The conference will be guided by a blueprint released by the Haitian government, with input from some two dozen organizations including the UN and the Inter-American Development Bank, earlier this month. The government estimates that it will take $11.5 billion to rebuild the country’s basic infrastructure. Secretary Clinton is expected to pledge an additional $1 billion to rebuild the earthquake-devastated nation. Haitian President Haitian President René Préval says his guiding principle and top priority for aid dispersion is “Decentralization.” Former President Bill Clinton is expected to co-chair the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission with the Haitian Prime Minister, which will oversee the funds.
