The United Nations Office of the Special Envoy for Haiti (OSE) and the Inter-American Development Bank’s Multilateral Investment Fund (FOMIN) launch the Haiti Civil Society Organization Portal

The Haiti Civil Society Organization Portal Initiative

The United Nations Office of the Special Envoy for Haiti (OSE) and the Inter-American Development Bank’s Multilateral Investment Fund  (FOMIN) have developed the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) Portal that will enable CSOs operating in Haiti to inform each other about their activities and report on their current status and needs.

Before the January 12 earthquake, the Office of the Special Envoy had worked closely with the Government of Haiti's Ministry of Planning and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to compile a directory of over 800 civil society organizations working in Haiti, both local and international entities, in areas ranging from agriculture, women's programmes, economic development, water and sanitation, children and youth. After the earthquake, this initiative has become even more pressing as it is critically important that CSOs can effectively support the relief and recovery process.  The directory is meant to help facilitate international cooperation and knowledge sharing.  It is designed to help anyone seeking information about not-for profit organizations working in different sectors of Haiti.

The United Nations Office of the Special Envoy for Haiti 

In May 2009 the United Nations Secretary-General announced the appointment of President William J. Clinton as the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Haiti. In August 2009, Dr. Paul Farmer was appointed as Deputy Special Envoy for Haiti.  Following the January 12 earthquake, Secretary-General Bank Ki-Moon asked President Clinton to take on an expanded role as UN Special Envoy.  In his expanded role as Special Envoy, President Clinton will continue to work with the Government and people of Haiti as they lead recovery and reconstruction efforts.  President Clinton will liaise closely with senior UN officials and will continue to advocate for the international community to realize and sustain their commitments to Haiti for long-term recovery, and help channel assistance effectively to communities in need. 

The Inter-American Development Bank 

As Haiti’s largest multilateral donor with a portfolio of over $770 million, the IDB has not only approved a $200,000 grant for emergency assistance for Haiti and $128 million in new grants this year, but it is also seeking to work with other donors to exchange information and coordinate response activity. Both the Haiti CSO Portal and the joint effort with the UN Office of the Special Envoy are steps towards forging new alliances that will enable a better recovery process in Haiti.

FOMIN 

FOMIN, a member of the IDB Group, is an autonomous fund administered by the IDB and the largest technical assistance provider in Latin America and the Caribbean with over $120 million per year, has been a major supporter of CSOs and microfinance institutions in Haiti, seeking to increase access to economic activity for everyone. FOMIN believes that the communication channel used to reach CSOs also becomes key since its work with CSOs and microfinance institutions throughout the region has shown that online communities and social networks are a very powerful tool to share information and promote communication and coordination.