Summary of contract

• Negotiation, representation, and other relevant context

  The parties to the agreement are the Kolektif Peyizan Viktim Tè Chabè (Kolektif), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and the Technical Implementation Unit of the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Haiti. The Kolektif Peyizan Viktim Tè Chabè was supported during the negotiation by three civil society organizations: Accountability Counsel, Action Aid Haiti, and AREDE. The Kolektif, IDB, and the Ministry initiated a dialogue to address topics concerning the Caracol Industrial Park project. The dialogue was facilitated by the Independent Consultation and Investigation Mechanisms of the IDB, and the topics included: environmental and social aspects, prior consultation; existence of a complaints mechanism at the project level; presentation of the terms of reference for the evaluation of the implementation of the resettlement action plan for the people affected by the project; revision of compensation payments; and mechanisms to restore the livelihoods of people affected by the project. After 6 rounds of dialogue over a year and a half, the parties agreed on 2 main areas: (1) corrective measures for the restoration of livelihoods; and (2) measures for the availability of environmental information about the Caracol project. As a result of the dialogue, the parties signed the “Agreement for the formulation and implementation of corrective measures to restore the livelihoods of those affected by the Caracol Industrial Park and to adopt measures for the availability of environmental information.” (Preamble.)

• Governance, implementation, dispute resolution

  The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) will continue to strengthen the grievance mechanism inside and outside the Caracol Industrial Park project, which will include seeking a place to receive requests for information and/or written grievances in a confidential manner. Regular stakeholder meetings in the area surrounding the Caracol project could be organized more frequently to share information about the situation in the project and to consider the opinions of interested parties (p. 2, 3).

• Fiscal obligations: content

  N/A

• Community development obligations: Local content

  One member from each affected household (approximately 400 persons) will be eligible for preparatory technical training and employment in the Caracol Industrial Park project. The majority of jobs will be in sewing, along with approximately 30 more specialized jobs. The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Ministry of Economy and Finance, in coordination with the companies in the project, will identify and prioritize additional opportunities for technical roles for the members of the Kolektif Peyizan Viktim Tè Chabè (Art. 1.1). A second household member will choose among 4 other options. Under option (1) a maximum of 100 project affected persons that do not own land will get access to land equal to the area owned prior to the arrival of the Caracol project, up to half a hectare, to resume agricultural activities to restore their means of subsistence; access will be secured through financing to obtain title deeds to a parcel of land (Art. 1.2). Option (2) will provide beneficiaries who already have access to land with specialized equipment and inputs for agriculture and agroforestry and technical support to facilitate the clearing, preparation, and planting of the parcel of land currently in use using sustainable and modern technologies (Art. 1.3). Option (3) will offer a graduation program focused on small businesses development and access to microcredit to women, men with disabilities, and those who are most vulnerable (Art. 1.4). Under option (4), beneficiaries will receive scholarships for 1 year at qualified technical training institutions in the region; training will focus on trades such as plumbing, mechanics, electrical, and others (Art. 1.5).

• Community development obligations: Infrastructure and social services

  N/A

• Community development obligations: Other

  All households will benefit from measures to support education and facilitation of access to microcredit. In August 2019, people affected by the Caracol project will receive 2 school kits per household to mitigate household education expenditures; each kit will include notebooks, backpacks, pencils, pens, and geometry sets (Art. 1.6). The Ministry of Economy and Finance, with the support of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), will organize a large event where organizations that offer microcredit in the region will present their products and services, including interest rates and other criteria (Art. 1.7). IDB commits to making efforts to identify microcredit institutions that offer agricultural credit and collective financing, and if necessary, a filtering procedure in collaboration with the Komité will be organized to ensure the seriousness of participating organizations (Art. 1.7).

• Environmental and social protection

  The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) continues to work to improve the social and environmental management of the Caracol Industrial Park project and considers crucial the support of the Kolektif Peyizan Viktim Tè Chabè (Kolektif). The areas to be improved include solid waste, wastewater treatment, stakeholder engagement inside and outside of the project, emergency response, and implementation of the Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) system. During the dialogue process, the Kolektif raised several concerns about the environment and social conditions in the Caracol project. IDB will continue to monitor the engagement of a laboratory to perform independent water analyses and will request that these reports be shared with the Kolektiv and published online. IDB will provide a detailed update to the Kolektif on environmental and social issues during meetings of the Monitoring Committee, which information will be included in the annual public monitoring report produced by the Independent Consultation and Investigation Mechanisms of the IDB.

• Transparency or confidentiality

  The document is only a summary of the agreement between stakeholders and does not encompass or represent the agreement (Preamble).

• Reference to investor-state contract

  N/A