November 14, 2004
Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Mr. President, Mr. Prime Minister, Ladies and Gentlemen,

First of all, I want you to know that I am here with a deputation of members of Parliament from across Canada – the Western Provinces, the Atlantic Provinces, Ontario, and Quebec.

I also want you to know, Mr. President, that I am here as Prime Minister of Canada, of course, but also as a representative of Simone-Desjardins School, in the constituency of my colleague Pablo Rodrigues. I visited the school with him and Denis Coderre last Friday. It is a school where 40 percent of the students are of Haitian origin.

I must tell you that we spent an extraordinary afternoon. The children put their nickels and dimes together, and raised more than $2,000 to send to Haiti, to help the women and men of Gonaives who have suffered so much.

I want you to know that we had a discussion. One of the children stood up, and I asked him, “Why did you do it?” He said, “We did it because we want to show the bond between us and the people of Haiti.”

Another boy sprang to his feet to correct him. He said, “We did it because we are all human beings, and we should help each other.”

I must say, Mr. President and Mr. Prime Minister, if I hear young people talk that way, the bond between the people of Canada and the people of Haiti today must be very strong. But, with young people like this, I am convinced that this bond will become stronger and stronger. So, as I said, I am very happy to be here as Prime Minister of Canada. But I am also very proud to represent Simone-Desjardins School, at least for today.

I am here to assure you that Canada is committed to stand shoulder to shoulder with Haiti. But I am also here to support you, Mr. Prime Minister and Mr. President, you and your government, to ensure a successful transition. Haiti has always been very dear to the hearts of Canadians. The tragedy in Gonaives is an eloquent example of the compassion Canadians have shown toward your country. The international community has made considerable efforts to come to Haiti’s aid. But it cannot meet its commitments without national reconciliation among all of you, the people of Haiti. International assistance and national reconciliation go hand in hand.

Security, disarmament, rebuilding the economy, reconciliation, revitalizing the democratic process – these are your chief responsibilities, and I know how well you are prepared to meet them.

Violence is a serious obstacle to better living conditions for all Haitians. Steps must be taken to ensure security through disarmament. But the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) cannot do this alone. The success of its mandate depends on effective coordination with a Haitian police force. It also depends on a strong, effective judicial system that operates with integrity.

The people of Haiti are impatiently waiting for concrete results. Canada is playing a central role in this regard, through our efforts in the fields of governance, education, health, and energy. You must now act to meet the expectations of Haitian women and men.

These two challenges cannot be met without national reconciliation among all stakeholders in Haitian society. This is an essential step in revitalizing the democratic process. Democracy is the right of every citizen of Haiti. It is absolutely necessary to improve the economic and social well-being of all citizens. The 2005 elections must be the symbol of this democracy regained. Everyone has a role to play in this endeavour. To succeed, however, political parties and civil society must set aside the resentment of the past. Instead, they must look ahead to the future, to break Haiti’s cycle of violence and poverty. I believe that the Haitian community in Canada and elsewhere has an important role to play. In this regard, in less than a month, Canada will organize a conference of Haitian expatriates in Montreal, to obtain their support in rebuilding their country.

In closing, I reiterate that Canada will stand shoulder to shoulder with Haiti in facing all these challenges. But the future of Haiti belongs, first and foremost, to Haitian women and men themselves. It is up to you – to all of you and to your compatriots in other countries – to agree on values, to create institutions, to form a society that will bring security, harmony, and prosperity.

Mr. President, a very large deputation of members of Parliament is here today because we have enormous confidence in you, the people of Haiti. We are here to help you. We are here because we believe in you. We are here because we want to be partners in your successful future.

In the next hour, I want to hear your views and opinions on three issues that go hand in hand: security and disarmament, reconstruction, and revitalizing the democratic process. I would like to hear about the role that all of you, around this table, plan to play in putting Haiti back on the road to democracy and reconstruction.

This is an important day for Canada. As I just said, we are here with you to be partners in your successful future.

Thank you.