UN General Assembly
1988

In the present circumstances there is only one possible policy that aimed at giving a lasting foundation to a regime of law and freedom end attacking the structural causes of absolute poverty. Those two courses are closely linked and inseparable. It is clear that it is impossible to exercise political rights in any meaningful way without full enjoyment of economic and social rights, and to that end we must tackle without further delay the major problems which the Haitian economy is now facing and which call for urgent medium- and long-term solutions. The grave deterioration of the physical environment as a result of the deforestation and erosion compounding the desertification of our country, deficiencies in the machinery of production and the uncertainty of Income, particularly in the rural areas, are factors behind the complete halt in economic growth, while population growth is about 1.5 per cent.