Port-au-Prince, September 5, 2023 - The Haitian Government formally launched the multi-stakeholder dialogue on the financing of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on Tuesday, September 5, 2023. This initiative is the result of a synergy between the Haitian Ministries of Planning and External Cooperation (MPCE) and the Economy and Finance (MEF), in partnership with the Growth Group and with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Coordination Office and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), through the National Integrated Framework for the Financing of Sustainable Development of Haiti (CINF-ODD).
Worldwide, the annual SDG funding gap has increased significantly, from about US$2.5 billion before the COVID-19 pandemic to about US$4.2 billion in 2023. At the same time, the Republic of Haiti is resolutely committed to accelerating the achievement of the SDGs and mobilizing the resources necessary for sustainable development, while strengthening collaboration between national and international actors in this crucial undertaking.
Haiti, like other developing countries, faces significant challenges in financing sustainable development. The country lacks resources to meet the basic needs of its population, let alone undertake socio-economic transformation initiatives in line with the global sustainable development goals. For 4 consecutive years, the country recorded negative growth and a level of inflation that reached more than 40% according to the Haitian Institute of Statistics and Informatics.
"The country is shaken by multidimensional crises and natural shocks exacerbated by COVID-19, the impacts of the war in Ukraine and climate change. To this is added the proliferation of gangs. This situation leads to the deterioration of the standard of living of the population," recalled Mr. Patrick Boisvert, Minister of Economy and Finance.
The 2-day multi-stakeholder dialogue mainly aims to allow a diversity of actors, from public authorities to entrepreneurs to civil society, to understand the challenges of development and SDG financing for Haiti; restore and consolidate the achievements of the CINF-Haiti program and discuss the conclusions of the development finance assessment (EFD) as well as the roadmap for the integration and financing of the SDGs; and finally, identify priority courses of action for the next stage of the implementation of the National Integrated Framework for Sustainable Development Financing in Haiti.
The key to the success of the CINF program lies not so much in the amount of its funding as in its implementation approach, which promotes a significant change in the way of working within the United Nations System itself. Since 2019, the UN has undertaken a reform of its development system, focused on the collaboration and implementation of joint programs involving two or more UN entities, whether resident or non-resident.
"This aspect of the reform positions joint programs as a catalytic instrument available to countries to achieve transformational development results contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)," said Dr. Christian MOUALA, Acting United Nations Resident Coordinator in Haiti speaking on behalf of the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations in Haiti, Ms. Ulricka Richardson.
For his part, Nick René Hartmann, UNDP Resident Representative in Haiti, encouraged actors in Haiti to look at the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs as a real opportunity. "The 2030 Agenda and the SDGs offer Haiti a unique opportunity to meet its current development challenges by helping to: offer a long-term vision for the country's development, strengthen the coherence of national and sectoral policies, promote coordination between government institutions and development actors, and create opportunities through the realization of major projects stimulating development objectives".
Launched in the presence of Mr Christian MOUALA, Resident Coordinator a.i UNRCOM; Mr Nick René Hartmann, UNDP Resident Representative, Ms. Lisa Kurbiel, Head of Secretariat of the Joint SDG Fund; Mr Michel Patrick Boisvert, Minister MEF and Mr Ricard Pierre, Minister MPCE, the event was marked by presentations and debates on the CINF strategy as an opportunity for Haiti to align its strategy with the United Nations Universal Agenda 2016-2030, as well as discussions on traditional and innovative sources of funding, and the SDG roadmap.
"However, it is important for this outcome to monitor the results of the diagnosis identifying the prospects and recommendations that include duly consolidated and concerted reform measures to be adopted, and for which technical and financial support remains more than desirable to promote the unavoidable changes required, it must be said, in the logic of change for the New Millennium to undertake differently from now on from the past," concluded Mr. Ricard Pierre, Minister of Planning and External Cooperation.
The expected results of this initiative include the presentation of the consolidated diagnosis of the last 20 years of development in Haiti, a better understanding of the challenges of the SDGs for the country, a more precise definition of the role of civil society and the private sector in mobilizing resources, and finally, a joint public statement by public authorities, the government and the United Nations in favour of the CINF-ODD roadmap.
This article was originally published at UNDP
Note:
The Joint SDG Fund's joint programmes are under the prestige leadership of the Resident Coordinator Office and implementing United Nations Agencies. With sincere appreciation for the contributions from the European Union and Governments of Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and our private sector funding partners, for a transformative movement towards achieving the SDGs by 2030.
