INTRODUCTION
Haiti, 2014. On the eve of the deadline for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the country has made major progress but serious challenges remain.
According to the latest MDG report published in June 2014 by the Haitian government and the United Nations Development Programme for Development in Haiti, the proportion of people living in extreme poverty - i.e., on less than $1.25 a day - has declined. In terms of education, more than 88% of children now attend primary school. The prevalence of HIV/AIDS has been stabilised and 60% of young people use condoms during sexual intercourse. The target measuring low weight in children under five was reached three years ahead of schedule. Nearly 69% of households now have access to an improved source of water.
However, as stated in the report on the MDGs in Haiti, six million people still live in moderate poverty, i.e., on less than $2.50 a day. The work for ensuring a quality education, reduction of absenteeism and developing public services, however, remains immense. Only 4 % of women are represented in Parliament and Haiti is one of only six countries in the world where one of the parliamentary chambers is exclusively male. Efforts to fight deforestation and loss of biodiversity have not been adequate to halt the trend: at least 62 % of city dwellers live in slums.
When all is said and done, if Haiti has made great strides, new financial resources must be mobilised to lift Haiti up to the emerging country level by 2030. With the support of its traditional partners, but also thanks to the impetus of the South, UNDP continues to support the Government of Haiti towards emergence. In the fight against poverty, in the fight against HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, in the areas of environmental protection, governance and the rule of law, and on disaster risk management, UNDP Haiti is aligned with the development priorities of the Government through national capacity building and improved preparation for the country’s future.
The approach is inclusive and should generate employment for young people and a livelihood for the marginalised. It must integrate gender equality and women’s empowerment. In a changing world, UNDP is also working towards sustainable modes of consumption and sustainable production. It now places the protection and management of natural resources as a priority within the development agenda.
On 12 January 2015, Haiti will commemorate the fifth anniversary of the earthquake of 2010. While no one has forgotten this tragedy, everyone would agree: a page is turning, Haiti is leaving the disaster stage and is on its way towards long-term development. The transition to human resilience is underway.
In this context, in addition to reporting the work of UNDP Haiti over the past year, this booklet discusses the highlights since 2010 through a time line, and offers a vision for the future for 2030 through the testimony of the mid-level Haitian government officers, long-term partners within institutions, who have agreed to put their oars in for us.
Haiti, 2030 on the horizon, is here, turn the page.