HAITI: THE CENTERPIECE OF CANADA'S LATIN AMERICA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 OTTAWA 000467 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/07/2018 TAGS: PREL KDEM EAID ECON CA HA SUBJECT: HAITI: THE CENTERPIECE OF CANADA'S LATIN AMERICA STRATEGY REF: A. OTTAWA 271 ¶B. 07 OTTAWA 1464 Classified By: PolMinCouns Scott Bellard, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (U) This is an action request -- see para 13. ¶2. (C) Summary: Following the roll-out in 2007 of a higher priority to Latin America in its foreign policy, Haiti has emerged as the key component of Canada's Latin America strategy. During a mid-February 2008 visit, Foreign Minister Bernier announced five new projects for security, border management, and police reform totaling C$19.1 million, part of a five-year (2006-2011) commitment of C$555 million for Haiti's development, which is second only to Afghanistan in Canada's aid programs worldwide. Canadian officials are cautiously encouraged by recent trends in Haiti, but believe that they may be short-lived without real improvements in the lives of Haitians soon. Canada welcomes the one-year MINUSTAH mandate as a "very positive step," but would like to see MINUSTAH more involved in judicial reform and border issues. Canada seeks further improvements to the trade and investment climate as key objectives. Canada increasingly is encouraging other partners in the Hemisphere to do more, and wants our backing for a Secretary-level conference call among the Friends Of Haiti in advance of the upcoming donors' conference. End Summary. FOCUS ON HAITI -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Since taking office in 2006, the Conservative minority government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper has deliberately focused its foreign policy priorities more narrowly, and has made the Americas a key focus of this strategy. PM Harper highlighted this shift in summer 2007 with a landmark four stop Latin America visit, which he ended in Haiti, including a well publicized visit to the slum of Cite Soleil (ref b). Canada has a natural connection to Haiti since it is French speaking and is in Canada's traditional Caribbean backyard and since there is a very vocal Haitian Diaspora in the Liberal stronghold of Montreal and a long history of Canadian contributions to peacekeeping missions under UN mandates. Additionally, the current Canadian Governor General, Michaelle Jean, is a native of Haiti. FM FOLLOWS UP: THE BORDER AND SECURITY -------------- ¶4. (SBU) In his first trip to Haiti February 20-22, Foreign Minister Maxime Bernier underscored Canada's deep and generous commitment to Haiti, with the following priorities: to strengthen good governance; to help build an open, responsible government; to fight corruption; and, to restore the rule of law. As reported more fully in ref a, Bernier announced five additional projects totaling C$19.1 million: -- rebuilding police training schools (C$3.3 million); -- rebuilding and equipping 21 police stations in the Departement du Sud (C$3.5 million); -- building a border post at Belladere (C$2.4 million); -- training and technical assistance for legislation drafting on human migration and trafficking (C$2.9 million); and, -- construction of a coast guard base at Les Cayes on the south coast of Haiti (C$7 million). This funding is part of a five-year (2006-2011) C$555 million commitment by Canada for reconstruction and development efforts in Haiti, making Canada the second largest bilateral donor there and making Haiti Canada's second largest overseas aid program, after Afghanistan. Other ongoing major projects include C$75 million for construction of a road from Les Cayes to Jeremie and C$100 million for development of school curriculum. ¶5. (C) As in Afghanistan, the border and cross-border Q5. (C) As in Afghanistan, the border and cross-border cooperation received particular attention in Canada's latest aid programming. Minister Bernier made a visit to the border post that Canada will build and met with Haitian and Dominican officials. (Deputy Foreign Minister Len Edwards then made a similar visit in March.) According to the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade's (DFAIT) Haiti Division Director Ginette Martin, both visits -- as well as Canada's involvement with the border -- were welcome, despite the often controversial nature of border issues in Santo Domingo. She noted the significance that Canada recently had received clearance from Haitian officials for the Canada Border Services Agency to send its agents to work in Haiti. Separately, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) will work to improve Haiti's Customs Service, according to Martin. OTTAWA 00000467 002 OF 003 ¶6. (C) Martin added that new security funding represents a "helpful improvement" in how Canada allocates its assistance in Haiti. For the past several years, there had been single-year funding for certain security projects from Canada's "Global Peace and Development Fund," which DFAIT's Stabilization and Reconstruction Task Force (START) -- rather than CIDA -- oversees in post-conflict societies. Canada's Treasury Board, Martin said, now permits START to budget on a multi-year basis, with the current security projects in Haiti worth C$45 million over three years. Martin commented that the START team was generally more attuned to security challenges than CIDA's more traditionally-minded development specialists. ¶7. (C) According to Martin, Canada sees the one-year MINUSTAH mandate as a "very positive step" and would work hard to continue to shape the mandate in the future. Canada was aware that the numbers of soldiers vs. police will shift and wants to ensure the right quantities and caliber of officers are on the ground. This will be especially important, Martin said, given the low numbers of qualified and linguistically trained police in the hemisphere. Canada would also like to see MINUSTAH more involved in border issues and justice reform. LEADERSHIP DYNAMICS -------------- ¶8. (C) Canada is also actively working to shore up Haiti's political stability, Martin noted. She cited concerns at the beginning of the year about President Rene Preval's health, which now appears to be improving. Deputy Division Director Sarah Cohen added that Governor General Jean has a "special relationship" with Preval, and sometimes passed on nuggets from discussions with him. Cohen highlighted that Preval has no natural successor and no ONE to make decisions and deliver in his absence. She described how the President often had a "Preval moment" at the end of lengthy discussions and was able to cut through the disagreements of his subordinates and force consensus and action. Examples included time-consuming votes of no confidence on Prime Minister Alexis, when Preval eventually reached out successfully to other parties to resolve. (NOTE: Cohen confirmed that Canada's refusal to grant an unlimited visa to Alexis -- due to his past association with the military regime -- was a key bilateral irritant. Canada had offered him a two-year visa to make visits to his ailing father in Montreal, where much of his family lives, but Cohen claimed that Alexis was "proud to a fault," and would not accept such restrictions. Martin said Alexis would be doing a tour of foreign capitals soon but would not include Ottawa. END NOTE). ECONOMICS AND AID -------------- ¶9. (C) ONE important prerequisite for future political stability in Haiti, Martin asserted, was to show visible progress in the lives of ordinary Haitians. Judging from her own visits, she claimed a clear improvement in the streets in terms of cleanliness and order, albeit matched by rising prices. FM Bernier during his visit highlighted the need for more trade and investment, a particular interest due to his own business background and libertarian economic beliefs. According to Martin, President Preval requested that Canada soften its travel warning in effect for Haiti; currently it is at three on a scale of ONE to four, in the same category as the Congo, Rwanda, and East Timor. FM Bernier promised that Canada would consider this, and Martin commented to poloff that DFAIT had noted especially that the U.S. Embassy Qpoloff that DFAIT had noted especially that the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince had now allowed families back in, unlike Canada. ¶10. (C) Martin emphasized that Canada sought good cooperation to ensure the success of the upcoming donors' conference. Canada will push to get donors to think in terms of multi-year funding to cover at least the term of the Preval government until 2011. She noted that part of Canada's new strategy was to play the role for its priority countries of a "senior partner" that takes responsibility for bringing others along and ensures proper coordination leading to an improved outcome. Canada hopes to act increasingly as a "mentor and facilitator" to other Latin American partners, and sees itself uniquely placed to play this role, according to Martin, ¶11. (C) Canada will also continue to push forcefully on anti-corruption, an approach that Martin said had received positive support from President Preval. She admitted that real success would require better implementing capacity, however, especially at the middle levels. Canada was also looking at further steps to improve the investment climate, OTTAWA 00000467 003 OF 003 such as helping companies with insurance to reduce risk. Canada had been disappointed that the planned and "much needed" Investment Forum did not come to fruition in November and hopes it will eventually take place; it will have Canada's "full support." Canada also plans as the host of the Caribbean Development Bank meeting in Halifax in May to give Haiti prominence on the margins of the meeting. Martin added that Canada was trying to work with the Haitian Diaspora to attract more attention to trade and investment opportunities in Haiti and to strengthen the connections with this key population. ONE Canadian NGO -- the Foundation for the Americas (FOCAL) -- had called for Canada to implement a "unilateral" free trade agreement with Haiti, but to date the idea seems to have garnered little support. COORDINATION BEFORE THE DONORS' CONFERENCE -------------- ¶12. (C) Canada hopes for a conference call among the Friends of Haiti in advance of the April 24-25 donors' conference. Martin noted that then-Foreign Ministers Pettigrew and MacKay had instigated such coordination previously (most recently in January 2007 to discuss the MINUSTAH mandate),but FM Bernier had not done so since taking office in August 2007. Martin commented that these calls were "extremely helpful" in highlighting the importance of Haiti to the U.S. and Canada as well as international solidarity on key issues. Martin suggested the week of April 14 as the logical time for this call, including Mexico, Peru, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, and France; ¶13. (C) Action request; Please advise about the willingness of the Secretary (or other senior USG official) to take part in such a conference call, and any preferences for date and time as well as topics. Visit Canada,s Economy and Environment Forum at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/can ada WILKINS