New online portal promotes efficiency and transparency of external aid to Haiti

Port-au-Prince, Haiti, 22 April 2010--A new online portal will promote the efficient use of more than $9 billion in aid pledged to Haiti's reconstruction, while holding donors to their promises and ensuring transparency and accountability of the use of their funds.

The initiative is part of the United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) support to the Ministry of Planning and External Cooperation, the Office of the Prime Minister, other government bodies and all partners including the private sector, to address the challenges linked to the management of external aid. The system, which is also supported by the United Nations Office of the Special Envoy for Haiti, tracks the money from pledge to impact and will include contributions and support from NGOs and the private sector.

Ernst Metellus, Coordinator for Information Management of Programmes and Projects with the Haitian Ministry of Planning and External Cooperation, said the virtual platform aims to streamline government efforts to meet the needs of the Haitian people. “The success of this project will be measured in degree of transparency it presents and ultimately through ensuring every dollar given is leveraged to the maximum extent possible in helping us overcome this terrible tragedy.”

“We see this tool as an important and critical component of Haiti's reconstruction process,” said United Nations Resident Coordinator Nigel Fisher. “We believe it addresses all the concerns of the international community as to how the funds will be spent, by whom and for what. It also provides a portal through which the people of Haiti can monitor use of the funds and hold their elected representatives accountable for how those funds are spent.”

Eric Overvest, UNDP Haiti Country Director, said the Haitian Platform for Public Investment will also enable Haitian and international journalists to monitor the Government's use of the funds, and to report to their audiences on the progress. He added it will match pledges with needs “based on empirical data using advanced analytics, showing current projects and any gaps that might exist in areas of development and humanitarian assistance.”

The online portal, which was built with the support of Synergy International Systems and the Development Gateway, is available online at www.refondation.ht.

For more information on UNDP in Haiti please visit www.ht.undp.org