The 34th plenary session of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly is held in Pétion-ville, Haiti, in the presence of MEPs and their counterparts from the national parliaments of African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. MEPs visit in the city of Port-au-Prince and express themselves.

joint meeting

ZELLER, Joachim (EPP, DE)

Haiti

34th ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (T)

ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly in Haiti: "Reconstruction" - extracts from the visit in the city of Port-au-Prince and statements

Visit to EU financed project "Amenagement de la source de la grotte" (refurbishment of the cave),  3 shots.

SOUNDBITE in EN, Xavier DESPLAN DE GOAL, Responsible of resstructuration works, Today we are in the so-called cave, we started to work on the infrastructure in 2015, it is a place which carries a lot of importance for the community. And the motor of the project has been to create a place which corresponds to the needs of the community. So we sat down with them and we were able to come up with a design which really improves and protect this place which is so important to the community. And at the same time create a resource, a public space were  the community can really be comfortable.

SOUNDBITE in FR, Kettyna BELLAB, Deupty Mayor of Port-au-Prince,  It is very important for a community to have a place dedicated to them, like the site of the Virgin Mary, excuse me I don't remember the exact year, but there was an apparition. I f you are catholic or other you feel good here.

SOUNDBITE in FR, Desert VINCENT, Head of the EU Delegation to Haiti, What you see here it is not like it was before, it has been refurbished, there were not all these supports, there were no stairs, there was nothing. So people walked in a ravine which was left as it was. So the refurbishment was made, the football pitch was made, there is a wash-up place with a water tap which allows women to come and wash their laundry here. For the kids there is a playground which also serves as a meeting and conference place and so on, for the whole community. Works wer also made also on the ravine which enables the canalisation of water. The EU, as a financial backer of similar projects that we have made in 8 neighbourhoods in Port-au-prince, baes on the same logic with two principal elements. The first is to work in concertation with community, so it is the community that designs the space that will be made, so it is made on the basis of the wishes and desiderata of the community. So there is a real participation of the community in the design of their neighbourhood. The second thing is the approach which is glabal and comprehensive, where we try to integrate all services to the community.

Arrival at Maison du Fort (3 shots), lower Turgeau

<p>SOUNDBITE in FR, Mich&egrave;le PIERRE LOUIS Following the earth quake, the Institute for the Safekeeping of the National Heritage, and institution which sorts under the Ministry of Culture, we decided to keep in this city which was nearly completely destroyed by the earth quake, what heritage could be saved? And we made a tour we though we could save this house. And let's see if we can also train skilled restoration crafts workers.</p>

SOUNDBITE (English), Joachim ZELLER (EPP, DE), Regarding the costs, I can imagine it wasn't cheap? Possible because many organisations and persons give their support were alos giving thier support and funding and know-how to it, so how do you assess the chance that this will find also followers?

SOUNDBITE in EN, Mich&egrave;le PIERRE LOUIS, At the time I think it was very difficult to mobilise all those sectors, and make them understand that it would be importnat for the city, but we are still very happy with the process, because they do get jobs and experiment the new skills that they have learned.

Arrival at the Musee du Patheon National Haitien (2 shots)

SOUNDBITE (French), Louis-Joseph MANSCOUR (S&amp;D, FR), SOUNDBITE in FR, There is a double interest, because I am above all Caribbean, and West-Indian, so I feel very close to Haiti. And the second reason for interest is that I think that it is important to come and see the evolution of the programme of reconstruction of Haiti. So this field visit allows us to meet and see the efforts made by the EU but also by the government here, and I am delighted about it.