IV 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 78
Expressing the need to reengage Congress and the Administration regarding 
the social conditions and need for poverty reduction in Haiti, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 5, 2003
Ms. LEE (for herself, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. 
OBERSTAR, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. 
KUCINICH, Mr. BROWN of Ohio, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. MEEK of Florida, 
Mr. RUSH, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Mr. DEUTSCH, Mr. HASTINGS of Flor-
ida, Ms. WATSON, Ms. KILPATRICK, Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Ms. JACKSON-
LEE of Texas, Ms. WATERS, Mr. OWENS, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. CLYBURN, Ms. 
CARSON of Indiana, and Mr. CLAY) submitted the following concurrent 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services, 
and in addition to the Committee on International Relations, for a period 
to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
concerned 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Expressing the need to reengage Congress and the Adminis-
tration regarding the social conditions and need for pov-
erty reduction in Haiti, and for other purposes.
Whereas the United States has participated in nearly 200 
years of bilateral relations with Haiti and its successive 
governments;
•HCON 78 IH 
Whereas Haiti is a nascent democracy, having had less than 
7 years to develop strong democratic institutions, such as 
its justice system; 
Whereas the Government of Haiti has dismantled the na-
tional military, which was responsible for countless 
human rights violations; 
Whereas Haiti’s only law enforcement consists of 3,500 na-
tional police who are charged with ensuring the safety of 
nearly 8,000,000 citizens; 
Whereas Haiti is the most impoverished nation in the West-
ern Hemisphere; 
Whereas on September 4, 2002, the Organization of Amer-
ican States (OAS) passed Resolution 822 to normalize 
relations between Haiti and the international financial in-
stitutions; 
Whereas since the passage of Resolution 822, no formal ac-
tion has been taken on the part of the international fi-
nancial institutions; 
Whereas the United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS 
states that Haiti accounts for 90 percent of the HIV/
AIDS infections and case rates in the Caribbean; 
Whereas the infant mortality rate in Haiti continues to rise 
and only 1 in every 10,000 Haitians has access to a phy-
sician; 
Whereas less than 40 percent of all Haitians have access to 
potable water; 
Whereas the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and 
Malaria has approved the Haitian Government’s control 
mechanisms, which include measures to address trans-
•HCON 78 IH 
parency, for disbursement of grants from the Global 
Fund; and 
Whereas the people of Haiti have a constitutional and funda-
mental human right to health and the government has 
the obligation to fulfill these rights to the level of re-
sources available: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That Congress—
(1) reaffirms its support for the mission of the 
Organization of American States (OAS) to Haiti and 
calls on the President to urge that this mission work 
closely with the Government and people of Haiti to 
advance their goals and aspirations and not the ob-
jectives of other governments or international orga-
nizations; 
(2) calls on the United States Agency for Inter-
national Development, the International Bank for 
Reconstruction and Development, the International 
Monetary Fund, and the Inter-American Develop-
ment Bank to convene a meeting of all donors and 
potential donors to Haiti, with the objective of 
launching a new and sustainable humanitarian ini-
tiative, including a lending program that will help 
bolster the economic and infrastructure bases of 
Haiti;
•HCON 78 IH 
(3) urges the President to direct the Secretary 
of State to conduct an immediate review of United 
States policy toward Haiti, including adequate and 
appropriate consultations with the relevant commit-
tees of Congress; 
(4) calls specifically upon the International 
Monetary Fund to reevaluate the current staff moni-
toring program conditions outlined for Haiti and 
work in the long-term toward a poverty reduction 
agreement for Haiti; and 
(5) urges the President to instruct the Sec-
retary of Treasury to direct the United States Exec-
utive Director at the Inter-American Development 
Bank to release the 4 social sector and development 
loans totaling $146,000,000, for health, education, 
water and sanitation, and transportation, that have 
been approved by the Board of Executive Directors 
of the Bank and ratified by the Parliament of Haiti.
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