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STORY: UN / HAITI BLANCHARD
TRT: 2:19
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH /NATS
DATELINE: 12 MAY 2017, NEW YORK CITY
RECENT
1. Wide shot, exterior, UN Headquarters
12 MAY 2017, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, Blanchard and spokesperson enter press room
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Marc-André Blanchard, Chair of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti and Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations:
“Haiti now has a government and a president that has been elected, a government that has been put in place and it seems to be functioning. And actually they have priorities that are very interesting and aligned with the Agenda 2030, so there is an opportunity for action in Haiti at the moment.”
4. Wide shot, press room
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Marc-André Blanchard, Chair of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti and Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations:
“If we move from humanitarian – more of a humanitarian focus to more development focus, the leadership of this, the coordination of development belongs to the government of Haiti and we should make sure that the international community and the UN come in support of this government and that we actually collaborate and work very closely with this government to ensure that actually the government succeeds with some of the priorities it has.”
6. Cutaway, reporters
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Marc-André Blanchard, Chair of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti and Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations:
“MINUSTAH was there in a very difficult period and was actually able to achieve a lot – everybody agrees that the country is more… in a better situation now than it was five years ago. Also, everybody agrees that the country is more secure now than it was a few years ago. So, its not perfect, there are still some security issues, there are many issues with institutions, still issues with corruption, and the likes. But this is why the MINUJUSTH transitioning to a focus on the rule of law and governance and institutions is the right one for the future involvement of the UN.”
8. Zoom out, end of press conference
Briefing reporters in New York on his recent visit to Haiti, the Canadian ambassador to the UN said “there is an opportunity for action in Haiti at the moment,” adding that the international community and the UN need to “work very closely with this government.”
Marc-André Blanchard, Chair of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti and Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations led 15 members-strong delegation to Haiti where they met the senior UN leadership in the country, private sector and government representatives.
Blanchard said that “Haiti now has a government and a president that has been elected, a government that has been put in place and it seems to be functioning. And actually they have priorities that are very interesting and aligned with the Agenda 2030, so there is an opportunity for action in Haiti at the moment.”
He also said that as the focus is moving from humanitarian assistance to development “the coordination of development belongs to the government of Haiti and we should make sure that the international community and the UN come in support of this government and that we actually collaborate and work very closely with this government to ensure that actually the government succeeds with some of the priorities it has.”
The 14 years-old UN peacekeeping mission in the Haiti known as MINUSTAH is due to close in October this year. In its place, a new mission – MINUJUSTH will take place with a mandate to assist in training and building Haitian institutions.
Blanchard said “MINUSTAH was there in a very difficult period and was actually able to achieve a lot – everybody agrees that the country is more… in a better situation now than it was five years ago. Also, everybody agrees that the country is more secure now than it was a few years ago. So, its not perfect, there are still some security issues, there are many issues with institutions, still issues with corruption, and the likes. But this is why the MINUJUSTH transitioning to a focus on the rule of law and governance and institutions is the right one for the future involvement of the UN.”
The MINUSTAH lost 102 of its staff members in the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti on 12 January 2010 killing tens of thousands people in the impoverished Caribbean nation.
