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The Office of the Special Representative for CARICOM to Haiti has been created to address the crucial needs of that Caribbean nation as CARICOM moves to fully integrate Haiti into the family of the Caribbean Community in the aftermath of the January 12 earthquake which devastated the country.

CARICOM has always enjoyed a warm relationship with that historic nation and views a strong and independent Haiti as essential to the growth of the region as a whole.

The needs are many and stretch far beyond earthquake relief and first response activities.  This is the time when CARICOM must throw its full weight behind Haiti in its efforts to rebuild itself as a great nation on its own terms. 

Through this office in Jamaica, our base in Haiti and our Special Unit at the CARICOM headquarters in Guyana, CARICOM intends to aggressively lobby for full and unconditional aid from the international community, so that Haiti may, once and for all, address those issues which have been impeding its development and become the nation it deserves to be. 

The earthquake came at a most inopportune time, when Haiti was set for real growth for the first time in many years.  Now the rebuilding requirements, not just due to the earthquake, but pre-dating that event, with the many catastrophic hurricanes, storms and floods which have wreaked havoc on the land and people of Haiti, are enormous, but not beyond the capacity and goodwill of international donors.

The state infrastructure must be rebuilt, the denuded forests must be replanted, agriculture must be fully revitalized, manufacturing must be managed and controlled to the benefit of the nation and political divisions must be put aside in the national interest.

We in CARICOM are confident that Haiti can achieve true development with the support of the international community, and we know that with funding and a little help from their friends here in this region and elsewhere, Haiti is capable of planning its own future and implementing these plans efficiently and effectively. 

CARICOM is here to support, advise and extend to Haiti whatever technical assistance it is within our power to offer.  As members of the Caribbean family we feel we are ideally suited to lead the call for international support for our sister country and to stand arm in arm with Haiti as it builds for a long-overdue glorious future.

The Most Honourable Percival James Patterson
CARICOM Special Representative on Haiti