USAID has announced that the USG will participate in another international donors' conference this November in Madrid, Spain.

The Madrid conference will discuss technical and coordination issues related to the financial aid being provided by the United States and other donor nations and multilateral groups to Haiti.

This news comes on the heals of the Oct. 11 announcement by AID of a pact with the Gov. of Haiti that commits $53 million of FY06 funds in agency assistance programs to Haiti. These funds will be part of an overall agreement with GOH for the next three years that is estimated at up to $492 million.

The agreement was signed September 15 in Port-au-Prince by U.S. Ambassador to Haiti Janet Sanderson who will be in Miami later this month for a conference at the University of Miami Center for Hemispheric Policy.

What's likely to spark a fierce reaction in Washington, DC when Congress returns from the November general election is news that the State Dept. recently lifted portions of a 15 year old arms embargo on Haiti. The embargo was established after the 1990 coup to limit access to small arms to paramilitary groups and the Cedras junta. US Rep. Barbara Lee introduced legislation this summer to block the transfer of weapons to the GOH. This change in policy by State will be contended surely.