On May 28, 2026, senior Haitian government officials and a senior French delegation gathered in Port-au-Prince for a substantive working session focused on advancing collaborative development initiatives aligned with Haiti’s top national priorities. Leading the Haitian side was Sandra Paulemon, Haiti’s Minister of Planning and External Cooperation, joined by her senior leadership team including Guy Roméro Latry, Director General of the Ministry, and Paul Ruddy Mentor, Chief of Staff. The French delegation was headed by Antoine Michon, French Ambassador to Haiti, and included senior representatives from two key French development institutions: Expertise France and the French Development Agency (AFD).
Opening the session, Minister Paulemon opened by highlighting the longstanding productive partnership between Haiti and France, singling out the robust cooperation the two nations have built in the critical security sector. She outlined the three core priorities laid out in the current Haitian government’s National Pact, under the leadership of Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime: restoring widespread national security, driving inclusive economic and social recovery across the country, and successfully organizing upcoming general elections.
Paulemon also raised a key procedural point to improve future project delivery: she called on international development partners to integrate Haiti’s Ministry of Planning and External Cooperation into project design and planning from the earliest stages. This closer involvement, she argued, would enable stronger cross-sector coordination, as well as more rigorous ongoing monitoring and evaluation of all external development interventions to ensure they deliver intended outcomes for Haitian communities.
In response, Ambassador Michon and his team presented the full portfolio of French-supported projects currently active across Haiti, totaling roughly 15 initiatives spread across multiple regions and key sectors. These projects span agriculture, food security, primary and secondary education, public health, democratic governance, biodiversity conservation, and cultural preservation. Michon reaffirmed France’s unwavering commitment to supporting the Haitian government in advancing the three national priorities outlined by Paulemon.
The ambassador detailed existing French security assistance already underway: this includes ongoing training programs for Haitian military personnel hosted in Martinique, and multiple capacity-building initiatives tailored to strengthen the operational capabilities of the Haitian National Police. He also outlined the scope of French humanitarian and social development work across the country, and confirmed France stands ready to provide full support to Haitian electoral authorities as they prepare for the upcoming planned elections.
The session also touched on institutional capacity building within Haiti’s government. Minister Paulemon stressed the need for continued long-term technical support for staff at both her ministry and other sectoral government bodies, with a specific focus on leveraging specialized expertise from institutions like Expertise France. She outlined ongoing internal reforms aimed at strengthening the Ministry of Planning and External Cooperation, including expanding the mandate and resources of the Directorate of Public Investment and reinforcing the operational capacity of Study and Programming Units (UEPs) embedded within each sectoral ministry.
Closing the working session, Paulemon reaffirmed the Haitian government’s commitment to deepening ongoing dialogue with all international development partners, with the shared goal of improving coordination of development interventions and ensuring all external support aligns closely with the national development priorities set by the democratically elected Haitian government.