March 7, 2025
The World Bank Group’s Board of Executive Directors on Tuesday approved a new Strategic Partnership Framework for Haiti. Covering the period 2025-2029, the new plan aims to lay the foundation for economic and social recovery. It also aims to mitigate potential risks of deterioration in human capital, physical infrastructure, and institutional capacity.
This strategy comes at a time when Haiti is going through one of the most difficult periods in its recent history. The country’s development has been hampered by crisis – a fragility fueled by political instability, conflict and violence, including the proliferation of armed groups and governance failures. Various shocks are exacerbating the political and economic environment, including gang violence.
The new strategy will make approximately US$320 million available to Haiti in grants to strengthen the resilience of the most vulnerable populations. It aims to strengthen economic governance by creating employment opportunities, maintaining institutional capacities essential to the delivery of basic services, and preserving human capital to increase resilience to natural disasters and shocks.
“Haiti must increase the resilience of its sovereign institutions, systems and short-term capacities of the State while establishing the foundations for longer-term transformational reforms. This new partnership framework must contribute to helping the country achieve these objectives,” said Alfred Metellus, Minister of Economy and Finance of Haiti .
The World Bank Group will support the creation of an enabling environment for the private sector and facilitate investments that can boost economic growth, create jobs, and promote sustainable development. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) will focus on inclusion, economic growth, productivity, and sustainability to support the private sector in preserving, creating jobs, and being competitive.
“Despite growing uncertainty and volatility, the World Bank Group continues its support on the ground in Haiti. We will focus on investments in areas of high vulnerability and where access to basic services is limited,” said Anne-Lucie Lefebvre, World Bank Country Manager in Haiti . “The World Bank will support strengthening the resilience of poor and risk-exposed populations, while strengthening the foundations for growth.”
The implementation of the new strategy will focus on a flexible and adaptive model, a territorial approach and capacity improvements, in a context of fragility. The strategy was developed on the basis of a relevant analysis of the country’s development challenges, while drawing lessons from past strategies and in consultation with the government, the private sector, civil society and development partners.
The Board also approved a US$60 million grant for the Haiti Public Financial Management Strengthening Project, which aims to strengthen government capacity and transparency in public revenue mobilization and financial management. The project will strengthen economic governance and create employment opportunities by increasing government capacity in budget management and oversight, strengthening external control institutions, and increasing the capacity and efficiency of customs operations for revenue mobilization.