Press release
28 January 2010
Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Great interest among Swedish companies for reconstruction in Haiti
On 28 January public and private actors will gather at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs for a first meeting on the willingness and ability of the Swedish business sector to contribute to the reconstruction of Haiti.
"Public-private sector cooperation will enable us to support the business sector in offering solutions through the UN and other multilateral actors. Swedish companies can often contribute long-term economic and environmentally sustainable solutions," says Minister for Trade Ewa Björling.
The UN has an important coordinating role and will lead the work of a needs analysis in cooperation with the EU, the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank. All in all, the multilateral system, to which Sweden is one of the major contributors, will allocate considerable amounts for the reconstruction of Haiti for many years to come. The Government Offices Projects Export Secretariat at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs will participate in drawing up an action plan for how the Swedish business sector can be involved in the reconstruction of Haiti. Together with the Swedish Association for UN Business (SWEUNB) and others, the objective is to formulate concrete offers that match Haiti's needs and demand.
SWEUNB is a non-profit organisation consisting of some 50 Swedish companies with the common interest of building long-term business relations with the UN and of contributing solutions that the UN needs in its international missions for peace and poverty reduction.
"Just as is the case among the Swedish people, we are now seeing great commitment among Swedish companies to contribute in various ways to disaster relief and reconstruction operations in earthquake-stricken Haiti. I hope now that Swedish companies' often world-leading skills and technical solutions will be put at the disposal of the reconstruction efforts for Haiti," says Minister for International Development Cooperation Gunilla Carlsson.
Contact
Jens SöderblomPolitical Adviser to Ewa Björling
+46 8 405 27 44
+46 76 766 39 99
email to Jens Söderblom Peter Larsson
+46 8 405 10 00
