GUIDANCE: CONSULTATIONS ON HAITI, FEB 19

UNCLAS STATE 014946 SENSITIVE SIPDIS USUN PLEASE PASS JEFF RENEAU AND ELLEN GERMAIN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL EAID HA SUBJECT: GUIDANCE: CONSULTATIONS ON HAITI, FEB 19 ¶1. (U) This is an action message. Please see paragraph three. ¶2. (U) Mission may draw on the points at paragraph three for the February 19 Security Council consultations on Haiti. ¶3. (SBU) Begin points: -- I would like to extend our thanks to Under-Secretary General Le Roy and Under-Secretary General Holmes for their briefings earlier today. -- Additionally, I would like to thank the team led by Under-Secretary General Le Roy and Under-Secretary General Malcorra for their productive visit yesterday to Washington. We appreciated hearing UN views on coordinating the transition from immediate relief operations to recovery and reconstruction activities over the medium and long-term. We are all interested in the continued resumption of a full array of operational responsibilities by the Government of Haiti and by MINUSTAH as they strengthen their respective capacities in the wake of the earthquake. -- The devastating scale of the disaster that has befallen the Haitian people makes it clear that the international community, working closely with the Government of Haiti, the United Nations, and international financial institutions, must provide a significant contribution to Haiti's rebuilding for the foreseeable future. -- Our imperative is to help a member of the community of nations in dire need. In doing so, we are respectful of Haitian sovereignty; we are aligning our efforts with those of the Haitian government; and we are mindful that the ultimate recipients of our assistance are the Haitian people, who therefore must be involved in the rebuilding effort - both within Haiti and in the Diaspora. -- Under the leadership of the Government of Haiti, and with a key role by the United Nations, we all must coordinate our efforts with national, international and regional organizations of the Americas, international financial institutions and a broad range of partners, to the benefit of the Haitian people. -- We stand with Haiti for the long term. We consider an initial 10-year commitment to be essential, as is a concerted effort to build Haiti's capacity, which should be a cornerstone of our joint approach. -- While we speak of a long-term commitment, we recognize that stability and human security are necessary preconditions to the rebuilding of Haiti. -- As we move forward, we want to ensure that various planning processes are fully coordinated and that all humanitarian, relief, and security requirements are properly understood and resourced. -- Over 30 nations to date, including the United States, have offered military or police personnel in support of MINUSTAH operations. This outpouring of support is commendable, and we hope that member states will provide MINUSTAH with additional self-sustaining formed police units. It will be important to facilitate the deployment of new police and military assets into MINUSTAH, especially as national forces from the United States and elsewhere draw down. -- Following the most recent assessments, OCHA has issued a revised appeal of 1.4 billion dollars, which means, as of February 17, the UN Flash Appeal was funded at 47 percent, with 673 million dollars of confirmed donations. The United States has spent over 600 million dollars on relief efforts so far. We strongly encourage other nations to support the assessed needs outlined in this second appeal to the maximum extent possible. -- The United States is also pleased to be co-hosting with the United Nations an international conference on March 31st that will help the Government of Haiti to mobilize resources for early recovery and longer-term reconstruction and to forge an agreed path forward for its rebuilding with the support of key donors and other partners. End points. Minimize considered. CLINTON