IV 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 241 
Urging multilateral financial institutions to cancel completely and immediately 
Haiti’s debts to such institutions, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 13, 2007 
Ms. WATERS (for herself, Mr. BACHUS, Mr. DELAHUNT, Ms. LEE, Mr. 
PAYNE, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. GUTIERREZ, and Mrs. MALONEY of New 
York) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Financial Services 
RESOLUTION 
Urging multilateral financial institutions to cancel completely 
and immediately Haiti’s debts to such institutions, and 
for other purposes. 
Whereas the Enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Ini-
tiative was established by the International Monetary 
Fund (IMF) and the International Bank for Reconstruc-
tion and Development (World Bank), in 1999, to reduce 
the excessive debt burdens of the world’s poorest coun-
tries, including debts owed to the IMF, the World Bank, 
and the Inter-American Development Bank; 
Whereas the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative was nego-
tiated by the leaders of the G–8 countries at the G–8 
Summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, in 2005, in order to pro-
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•HRES 241 IH 
vide eligible poor countries complete cancellation of debts 
owed to the IMF and the World Bank; 
Whereas Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemi-
sphere; 
Whereas violence and natural disasters have caused tremen-
dous suffering and loss of life in Haiti; 
Whereas the IMF estimates that Haiti owes $1,097,800,000 
to 
multilateral 
financial 
institutions, 
including 
$21,400,000 to the IMF, $507,100,000 to the World 
Bank, and $533,900,000 to the Inter-American Develop-
ment Bank; 
Whereas much of Haiti’s debt burden was accumulated dur-
ing the oppressive rule of the Duvalier regimes, which did 
not use the money for the benefit of the Haitian people; 
Whereas the IMF estimated that Haiti would spend 
$56,200,000 on debt service payments to multilateral 
creditors during the 2006-2007 fiscal year, including 
$17,000,000 to the IMF, $11,600,000 to the World 
Bank, and $25,700,000 to the Inter-American Develop-
ment Bank; 
Whereas the debt service payments that the government of 
Haiti makes to multilateral creditors take money away 
from critical infrastructure development projects and es-
sential government services, including health care and 
education; 
Whereas Haiti has participated in the Enhanced Heavily In-
debted Poor Countries Initiative since November 22, 
2006, but has not been able to participate in the Multi-
lateral Debt Relief Initiative; 
Whereas the IMF has predicted that Haiti may not receive 
complete debt cancellation from the IMF and the World 
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•HRES 241 IH 
Bank under the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative until 
September of 2008; 
Whereas the impoverished people of Haiti cannot wait until 
September of 2008 to experience the benefits of complete 
debt cancellation; 
Whereas, on May 14, 2006, Rene Garcia Preval was sworn 
in as the President of Haiti following democratic elec-
tions in which 2,200,000 Haitians—more than 60 per-
cent of registered voters—participated; and 
Whereas the cancellation of Haiti’s debts will enable the 
democratically-elected government of Haiti to improve 
health care, education, and other essential government 
services, invest in critical infrastructure, and improve the 
lives of the Haitian people: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives urges— 
(1) the International Monetary Fund, the Inter-
national Bank for Reconstruction and Development 
(World Bank), the Inter-American Development 
Bank, and other multilateral financial institutions to 
cancel completely and immediately Haiti’s debts to 
such institutions; and 
(2) the Secretary of the Treasury to instruct 
the United States Executive Directors at such insti-
tutions to use the voice, vote, and influence of the 
United States to accomplish this goal. 
Æ 
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