WHA A/S SHANNON'S JULY 25 VISIT TO HAITI - OVERVIEW

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT AU PRINCE 001392

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SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/28/2016
TAGS: HA KPKO PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: WHA A/S SHANNON'S JULY 25 VISIT TO HAITI - OVERVIEW

Classified By: Ambassador Janet A. Sanderson for reason 1.4 (b/d).


1. (U) WHA A/S Thomas Shannon led the U.S. Delegation to
the July 25 Haiti Donors' Conference, at which the USG
pledged $210 million for the coming 12 months -- the largest
amount from any donor. During his one-day visit, A/S Shannon
held bilaterals with President Preval, Prime Minister Alexis,
MINUSTAH SRSG Mulet, Canadian CIDA President Greenhill, and
Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Yamanaka. This message offers
highlights of the visit. Septels provide detailed read-outs
of the pledging conference and key bilateral meetings.


2. (U) Shannon's Message: Throughout his visit, Shannon
emphasized that the USG is committed to the success of the
democratically elected government in Haiti and to a continued
role for MINUSTAH in stabilizing the country. He stressed
that improved security is a pre-requisite for investment andQevelopment. He encouraged the GOH to enlist the support of
other segments of society in a strategy to combat insecurity.



3. (C) President Preval: Preval offered assurances that he
was dealing with the problem of insecurity, and floated the
idea of holding a national conference on security,
contraband, and corruption. He devoted most of his meeting
with A/S Shannon to a request for USG assistance in road
building and, to a lesser extent, counternarcotics. Preval
appeared to have an overly optimistic assessment of prospects
for passage of HOPE legislation. Shannon cautioned him to
consider the political sensitivities of trade legislation in
the U.S. Congress. Asked about Haiti's position on the
GRULAC seat in the UNSC, Preval maintained that there is a
CARICOM consensus to support Venezuela. Shannon indicated
that we had a different understanding of CARICOM's position,
which had laid out criteria for supporting a GRULAC candidate
but had not identified a favored candidate. He reviewed he
many reasons Guatemala is the stronger candidate and urged
Preval to rethink his position.


4. (C) PM Alexis: Alexis said that the government is
determined to manage the security situation, and would
welcome additional specialized military capabilities for
MINUSTAH. The Prime Minister also urged passage of HOPE
legislation as part of a broader package of economic measures
that would provide jobs to Haitian youth and dissuade them
from joining gangs. Alexis raised GOH concerns over
resumption of deportation of Haitian criminals who have
completed their sentences in the U.S. He proposed that the
USG and GOH work on a comprehensive program to provide for
social reintegration of these criminals upon their return to
Haiti.


5. (C) SRSG Mulet: Mulet discussed MINUSTAH's challenges
operating in Haiti, which lacks a functional state --
especially outside Port-au-Prince. He warned that Aristide
poses a growing threat as a potential spoiler, perhaps in
collaboration with other forces that seek to destabilize the
government. Preval, whom Mulet sees almost daily, is
concerned about security but lacks a coherent vision for
how to respond. Mulet urged renewal of MINUSTAH's mandate
for a full year, in part to lock in commitments from wavering
troop contributors. If MINUSTAH does not succeed in working
with the GOH to stabilize Haiti, he said, then the
international community will have to return again when the
task will be even more difficult and expensive. Shannon
assured Mulet of strong USG support for MINUSTAH.


6. (SBU) CIDA President Greenhill: Canadian International
Development Agency President Robert Greenhill asserted that
Haiti had the best opportunity in 20 years to make progress.
He was pleased with the high-level presence at the donors'
conference, despite competing international demands (e.g.,
the Middle East). Greenhill worried that expectations for
rapid improvement in Haiti may be too high. The GOH has
oversold to its citizens what can be accomplished in the
short term. The country faces a difficult 12 - 18 months as
it comes to grips with gangs, an inexperienced new
parliament, and other challenges. As part of a long-term
approach, CIDA has locked in a commitment of 100 million
Canadian dollars (about USD 90 million) in aid to Haiti in
each of the next five years. This will make Haiti Canada's
second largest foreign aid recipient, after Afghanistan. The
Canadians favor renewal of MINUSTAH's mandate for a full
year, and plan to continue their support to the UN Police.
Greenhill and Shannon agreed that it is critical to improve
the security environment in order for

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development aid to be effective and for investment to return
to Haiti.


7. (SBU) Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Yamanaka: Vice
Minister Akiko Yamanaka said that Japan believes Haiti is
important not only in and of itself but also because of its
potential effects (e.g., refugee and migrant flows) elsewhere
in the region. Japan's assistance focuses on "human
security" through technical cooperation in the fields of
agriculture, environment, traffic systems, and police.
Agreeing with Shannon on the key role of MINUSTAH, Yamanaka
asked about prospects for renewing and strengthening
MINUSTAH's mandate. In particular, she expressed concern
that PRC irritation at Haiti's and Preval's relationship with
Taiwan could limit PRC support for mandate renewal. Shannon
underscored U.S. support for MINUSTAH, and noted that, while
the PRC is irritated by GOH recognition of Taiwan, he hoped
that the Chinese would not be so short-sighted as to use
their UNSC vote to block renewal of MINUSTAH's mandate.
Shannon said the U.S. would reach out to the PRC in advance
of MINUSTAH's mandate renewal to manage their concerns.


8. (U) Press Conference: Prior to departing Port-au-Prince,
Shannon gave a brief press conference.
With its pledge at the July 25 Donors' Conference, the USG
remains Haiti's largest donor. Moreover, in the period since
the last Donors' Conference, USG disbursements were more than
50 percent higher than the amount originally pledged. He
emphasized that, with an elected government now in place,
this is the time to work with Haiti's democratic institutions
to tackle common challenges, including security and economic
development.


9. (C) Comment: This short visit underscored USG support
for the democratically elected government and for MINUSTAH.
The bilaterals with Preval and Alexis afforded an opportunity
to push them to act more forcefully and publicly on security
issues. Our contacts with the Canadians and Japanese showed
general consensus that this is a moment of opportunity for
Haiti, but one fraught with challenges that will require
continued international support and engagement. Shannon's
visit attracted positive press play, focused on the
significant USG aid package for Haiti. End comment.


10. (U) A/S Shannon has cleared this message.
SANDERSON