It was a star-studded array at the UN Security Council debate on earthquake-ravaged Haiti on Wednesday, headlined by the organization's secretary- general, two sitting presidents -- of Colombia and Haiti -- former U.S. President Bill Clinton, half a dozen foreign ministers and other ranking diplomats.
The session was convened by Colombia, this month's president of the 15-member UN body, and President Juan Manuel Santos Calderon, sitting in the council's president seat, said he wanted to renew efforts for "the stabilization and strengthening of the rule of law" in Haiti.
"The meager results achieved require us to reflect on the manner in which we are carrying out our work," he said. "Haiti's social and economic problems and its recovery are not new, though they were exacerbated by the tragic earthquake of Jan. 12, 2010."
"Haitians themselves say it is necessary to rebuild their country, both physically and institutionally, and the international community has a moral duty to contribute to this end, the president added. "But we must do it in a coordinated, coherent manner, aiming for concrete, sustainable and long-term achievements."
He said, "the proliferation of organizations acting on the island, without coordination among themselves or with Haitian authorities, undermines any and all efforts to strengthen institutionalism and affects the ability to undertake long-term initiatives," feeding the vicious cycle of poverty.