FCM attends international conference of local governments and United Nations Donors' Conference on Haiti reconstruction

On January 25th, 2010, the Government of Canada hosted a Ministerial Preparatory Conference with foreign ministers from the Group of Friends of Haiti, major donors and key regional and multilateral partners engaged in Haiti. This meeting was the first step towards establishing a clear and common vision within the international community for the early recovery and longer-term reconstruction of Haiti. At that time, it was announced that a follow-up donors´ pledging conference would be hosted by the United Nations (UN)in March in New York to discuss long-term rebuilding and to establish each donor country´s particular sectors of intervention.

International Conference of World Cities and Regions

In preparation for the United Nations Donor Conference on Haiti, the Government of France was mandated to facilitate a discussion on the potential for international local governments to contribute to reconstruction. The International Conference of Cities and Regions took place in Fort-de-France, Martinique, on March 23rd to discuss municipal initiatives and to propose ideas on longer-term reconstruction in Haiti.

Our Second Vice-President, Berry Vrbanovic, councillor, City of Kitchener, Ont., represented FCM in Martinique. Other Canadian municipal delegates included representatives from Montreal, the Union of Quebec Municipalities (UMQ), the Federation of Quebec Municipalities (FQM), and the Association of Francophone Municipalities of New Brunswick. The conference participants totalled approximately 250 individuals representing Canada, Haiti, France, Holland, the United States, Brazil, Spain, and Japan.

FCM played a key role in the discussions on two fronts.

1. Within the global local government sector, FCM brought together key players in a coordinated approach under the umbrella of United Cities and Local Government (UCLG) - our global local government association. A draft MOU is being discussed and FCM has been designated by the group as the primary point of contact by Haitian mayors and the Ministry of Interior and Local Authorities for future discussions in relation to local government. There is a keen interest in collaborating with Canada, given our diverse municipal systems, international experience, cultural/diaspora ties, and language abilities.
2. Both at the meeting and in the following week, FCM was able to support the Haitian Mayors in developing their statement on local government principles, which was presented in New York on the 31st.

International Donors' Conference Towards a New Future for Haiti

The Donor Conference at the UN on March 31st  was one of the largest meetings of its kind held in UN history, with almost 50 countries pledging a record $9.9 billion towards Haiti rebuilding and reconstruction over the next 5 years. Our Second Vice-President, Berry Vrbanovic, councillor, City of Kitchener, Ont., represented FCM and was accompanied by Montreal Mayor and BCMC member Gérald Tremblay.  Mayor Tremblay was part of the FCM delegation and in his role as Vice-President of UCLG and AIMF (Association Internationale des maires francophones), he addressed the assembly on behalf of the world's local governments, together with the President of the Haitian Mayors´ Association.
 
FCM objectives at the New York meeting were twofold – to join our Haitian colleagues in seeking recognition from donors of the key role local authorities can play in the rebuilding of Haiti, and to pursue discussions with the Government of Canada regarding funding support for Canadian municipal governments´ participation in this effort in collaboration with local governments in Haiti.
 
Highlights from the Donor Conference included: a meeting between her Excellency Governor-General Michaëlle Jean and FCM on what Canadian cities and communities hope to do for Haiti; an informal discussion with Minister of Foreign Affairs Lawrence Cannon about the results of the meeting in Fort de France and FCM´s ability to work in partnership with the Federal government; a briefing with Canada's Ambassador to Haiti, Ambassador to the UN and key CIDA and DFAIT staff about the role of Canada's cities and communities on this file both domestically and internationally; and numerous meetings with Haitian elected officials, association representatives and Ministry officials.

Follow-up

This week FCM is meeting with the Minister of International Cooperation and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) to present our findings from the Fort-de-France meeting, and to share our concrete proposal for supporting Haiti´s municipal sector over the next 18 months. We hope that this will lead to a scoping mission on the ground in Haiti in the next month.

In the coming weeks, FCM will continue to dialogue with our partners, both domestically and internationally about our partnerships. International coordination for Haiti will be discussed at the next UCLG executive committee meeting in Chicago at the end of April.

Lastly, FCM is organizing a special seminar on Haiti at our annual conference and trade show in Toronto, which will take place on Friday, May 28, 2010.

updated April 14, 2010