Haiti – Economy : Minister Florestal at the 4th UN Conference on Financing for Development (Videos)
08/07/2025 10:24:47
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On a mission to Seville, in southern Spain, for the 4th United Nations Conference on Financing for Development, Ketleen Florestal, Minister of Planning and External Cooperation (MPCE), addressed the plenary session.
In her address, Minister Florestal reiterated that “security is not only a prerequisite, but a component of development” and affirmed that “as long as we continue to dissociate development from security, we will fail.”
The Minister called for “simpler disbursement procedures, more adapted to local realities without sacrificing transparency,” and reiterated that “announcing funds is not helping,” while clarifying that the gap between funding promises to Haiti and disbursements is killing initiatives and delaying vital responses.
She emphasized the revitalization of human capital, which she believes is essential, and called for Haiti to be provided with financing that promotes economic recovery and resilience to climate shocks.
She called on development and financial partners “not to postpone investments until after the crisis, because investing now means building the post-crisis period,” while emphasizing that, in addition to responding to humanitarian emergencies, we must look to the Far North and the Far South, stable territories ready to welcome productive investments.
Speech by Minister Florestal :
On the sidelines of the Plenary Session, a side event was organized by the MPCE, in coordination with the office of Ulrika Richardson, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP-Haiti. In addition to the Minister and the Deputy Resident Representative, the panel included speakers such as : Ms. Elizabeth Spehar of the United Nations Peacebuilding Agency; Bob Rae, Ambassador of Canada to the United Nations; Allen Henry, Chief of Staff to the President of the Presidential Transitional Council; and Daniel Dorsainvil, Special Advisor on Economic Affairs to the President of the Presidential Transitional Council.
This side event allowed the panelists to discuss Haiti’s development financing priorities with regard to :
1. The need to strengthen coordination between donors and the Government;
2. The urgency of intervening at the humanitarian level and simultaneously to promote growth and development;
3. The importance of supporting the private sector, including MSMEs, which have been heavily impacted by the crisis but are also a major source of job creation;
4. Increasing efforts to train young people and women to achieve greater financial independence;
5. The urgent need to consider forced returnees in addition to internally displaced persons due to insecurity.
On the sidelines of the 4th Conference, Minister Florestal also spoke at three separate forums and gave an interview to the online platform of the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF).
Interview with Minister Florestal :
At the CAF-EU Assembly, the Minister invited all financial partners present to look beyond the crisis narrative and recognize the growth, social, and economic potential waiting to be tapped in Haiti. The Minister encouraged the European Union to provide grants that could help leverage additional private and public capital in Haiti and the entire Caribbean region. While acknowledging that the current structure of the Global Gateway Investment relies primarily on loans and co-financing, she emphasized that Haiti could greatly benefit from blended finance instruments.
During the Foundation for Studies and Research on International Development (FERDI) panel on “Concessional Financing for Least Developed Countries (LDCs) : Challenges and Prospects in the Current Crisis” the Minister emphasized the policies of international financial institutions that do not sufficiently take into account the situation of countries subject to multiple shocks and in fragile situations in the determination of the quantum and terms of financial assistance.
Florestal noted that, while domestic resource mobilization must play an important role in financing development, the ability of a country like Haiti to stimulate growth and development with tax revenues without external resource contributions must be questioned, considering that the country is in its sixth consecutive year of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) contraction.
HL/ S/ HaitiLibre