EXCLUSIVE OP-ED: Japan’s Commitment to Enhance Human Security in Haiti

After the devastating earthquake in January, Japan was one of the first international donors to swiftly come to Haiti's aid. At the International Conference towards a New Future for Haiti in March, Japan announced a contribution of $100 million to Haiti's recovery and reconstruction. Since then, Japan has provided assistance through both bilateral and multilateral channels, and more than 60% of our pledge has already been disbursed. As Foreign Minister Maehara told the opening plenary of this week's International Conference on Haiti's Reconstruction, Japan and the rest of the international community will continue to stand with Haiti in its time of need.

However, in order to more effectively address the threats faced by Haiti's most vulnerable, Japan strongly believes that the international community should adopt enhanced human security as the centerpiece of its implementation strategy. This concept, which is gaining momentum in the international community including the United Nations, focuses on the security of each and every individual; it is not limited to traditional notions of national security. Human security means protecting a newly-born in Port-au-Prince from the threats of infectious disease and starvation. Human security means empowering and employing youths in Cite Soleil, so that they can rebuild their lives with dignity while contributing to Haiti's recovery. Human security means working with impoverished farmers in Limbe to ensure that Haiti's development is sustainable and locally-driven.

With this in mind, the Government of Japan encourages delegates at this week's conference to adopt four approaches towards Haiti's recovery: (1) a protection and empowerment approach; (2) a participatory approach; (3) a multi-sectoral approach; (4) and a top-down and bottom-up approach. The Haitian people need to be not only protected from immediate threats, but also empowered so that they can stand on their own feet. Assistance should be inclusive and incorporate all major actors concerned, especially NGOs and local government. Moreover, since threats to human security are interwoven

and deeply interrelated, projects should be comprehensive and cover different development fields. Finally, assistance should go beyond top-down mechanisms to include bottom-up approaches, which nurture local ownership.

To date, Japan has concentrated its assistance to Haiti in three areas: education and capacity building; health and medical care; and food and agriculture. As an earthquake-prone country, we pledge to strengthen our technical assistance in the field of disaster prevention so that Haiti will never again experience such a tragedy. Japan will also enhance its partnership with the Haitian government to facilitate implementation and local collaboration. As a first step, we are now in the process of establishing a field office of the Japan International Cooperation Agency in Haiti.

Japan, in collaboration with the international community and the Haitian government, will continue its efforts to support Haiti in the weeks, months, and years ahead. Only through international cooperation can we help each and every Haitian regain hope for a better and brighter future.

Minister of for Foreign Affairs Seiji Maehara (Atsuko Tsuda) and MOFA Caribbean Division Director Kozo Honsei (Brian Kelly)