Special Envoy laments slow pace of aid delivery

The United Nations special envoy to Haiti, Bill Clinton, has lamented the slow delivery of aid pledged to the French-speaking Caribbean nation, urging donors to \"get the show on the road,\" according to a report on www.cananews.net.



\"They\'ve only gotten a pittance of the aid that was pledged to them,\" the former United States president told reporters Wednesday after addressing a UN Security Council open debate on Haiti.



\"A lot of that is part of the appropriations process that plays out in the latter half of every year. But we can\'t get to January with only US$21 million of over US$760 million in commitments disbursed down there (in Haiti),\" he added.



During the open debate Clinton said he was convinced that Haiti has a remarkable opportunity for progress.



\"Haiti can succeed, but not without your help,\" he stressed, urging those donors that have made aid pledges to now fund them.



Clinton said he would soon undertake a trade mission to Haiti to try to attract investment and project a more positive image of the country, noting that the country had especially \"enormous untapped potential for wind and solar energy\" programmes.



Hédi Annabi, special representative of the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, said the international community has provided assistance in fields ranging from increased customs revenue, enhanced local management of resources, and other capacity-building initiatives.



But he warned that all these initiatives combined \"represent a fraction of what is required to enable the state to deliver basic services to the population, as is critical for lasting stability.



\"Real progress in this area will depend upon the political will of the Haitian leadership, and on strong and coordinated support from bilateral partners,\" said Annabi.