Port-au-Prince, 16 May 2016 --- The Minister of Planning and External Cooperation officially launched on 11 May 2016, in Port-au-Prince, the preparation of the new cooperation program 2017-2021 between Haiti and UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund. Esq. Aviol Fleurant, on the occasion of this two-day workshop, stressed the need for the implementation of a national population policy, taking into account the demographic and economic situation of Haiti. The Executive announced on 12 May, the appointment of a Secretary of State for Population,the former parliament member Guy Gérard Georges. A population policy document exists in Haiti, but was never implemented. During the group discussions (on Population and Developments specifically), participants identified the lack of an operational coordination structure regarding population and development as the central problem of this sector. They analyzed the causes, manifestations and made a set of proposals for achieving tangible results in the short, medium and long term. The same approach was followed in the other groups, including ¨Maternal Health¨, ¨Gender equality¨ and ¨Youth and adolescents¨. The Representative of UNFPA for Haiti, Marielle Sander, recalled that the Country Program reflects the collective commitment of the United Nations to the priorities identified by the Government in the National Strategic Plan for Haiti's long-term development, 2030. UNFPA contributes to the national goals of the social reconstruction pillar of the plan, especially those that aim to increase access to health services and ensure gender equality. ¨From the development, the joint implementation of this cooperation program between UNFPA and Haiti, depend on future benefits for vulnerable groups concerned, particularly pregnant women, youth and adolescent ¨, said Ms. Sander to justify the importance of the reflection that began as part of the development of the new Country program.