Nancy Birdsall testified before the House Financial Services Subcommittee on International Monetary Policy and Trade on March 16, 2010, about rebuilding Haiti's competitiveness and private sector.
From Birdsall's testimony:
I appreciate the opportunity to appear before the subcommittee today to discuss how the U.S. and the international institutions can support Haiti's reconstruction and recovery following January's devastating earthquake.
Humanitarian relief efforts remain an urgent concern in post-quake Haiti. At the same time, the disaster has prompted soul-searching and debate in the development community. Why haven't previous efforts to assist Haiti resulted in a more resilient society? How can the United States and the international institutions like the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) support Haiti's reconstruction and recovery, especially when Haiti's government and institutions have been crippled by the earthquake?
In my remarks, I'd like to propose three key principles for the U.S. and international response in Haiti and three policy actions that would have a big impact on the lives of Haitians as they seek to rebuild and replenish their nation.
