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Haiti talks in Montreal focus on rebuilding

International talks on Haiti, scheduled to open Monday in Montreal, will focus on the "critical first steps" in rebuilding the earthquake-ravaged country, Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon says.

Donor conference to be held in coming months

CBC News ·
A woman walks through debris in Haiti's devastated capital of Port-au-Prince on Jan. 15. A conference opening Monday in Montreal will focus on how to rebuild the country's pulverized infrastructure. ((Gregory Bull/Associated Press))
International talks on Haiti, scheduled to open Monday in Montreal, will focus on the "critical first steps" in rebuilding the earthquake-ravaged country, not on how much money is needed for the monumental task, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon.

Cannon, who will chair the meeting, told a briefing in Ottawa on Sunday that a larger donor co-ordination conference on reconstruction is expected to take place in the coming months.

The Canadian death toll in Haiti rose to 20 on Sunday afternoon, up from the 19 that Cannon announced earlier in the day. Twelve days after the 7.0 quake, the number of missing Canadians fell to 207 from 213 mentioned earlier in the day.

How to help

To help those affected by the earthquake, here is  a list of organizations accepting donations.

Cannon said groups such as the Red Cross will have a chance to make presentations in Montreal at the Ministerial Preparatory Conference, but the talks would primarily serve as an overview of what's happening on the ground and reconstruction needs in the long term.

Participants will include foreign ministers and delegates from the following countries and organizations:

  • Haiti.
  • Group of Friends of Haiti: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, France, Mexico, Peru, United States, Uruguay.
  • Other major donors and key regional and multilateral partners engaged in Haiti: Japan, Spain, European Union.
  • Neighbouring Caribbean country: Dominican Republic.
  • International organizations: United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Caribbean Development Bank, Organization of American States, CARICOM, International Monetary Fund, Inter-American Development Bank
Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive, left, meets Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Sunday ahead of Monday's international talks on Haiti in Montreal. ((Pawel Dwulit/Canadian Press) )
Cannon said he was "deeply honoured" that Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive, who arrived in Ottawa on Sunday, would be meeting with Canadian officials over the next two days and that "key partners" have agreed to take part in the Montreal talks.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper praised the more than $67 million Canadians have donated to earthquake relief as exceeding the government's "wildest expectations."

Harper also said his government has lifted a $50-million cap on its pledge to match public contributions to eligible relief organizations.

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