As the focus of aid efforts in earthquake-ravaged Haiti shifts from rescue to relief, a conference in Montreal on Monday discussed long-term recovery plans. Nearly two weeks after the disaster, which killed around 150,000 people and left a million homeless, donors were told it will take at least a decade to rebuild the country.

Haiti’s Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive told the conference that “massive support ” is needed for a long-term effort to rebuild his country, as well as to meet the immediate need for food, water, shelter and health care. Mr Bellerive stressed Haiti can’t go back to the way it was before the quake, but must be re-launched on the path to development.

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Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper also warned those present that it’s impossible to find a quick fix:
 
"Today's conference will allow us to agree on the principles that should guide our approach to Haiti's reconstruction.  Let me just highlight a few of these principles:  1) sustainability is key.  We need to commit to Haiti for the long term.  Ten years of work, at least, awaits the world in Haiti."
   
Spend transparently

Mr Harper also discussed the principles of coordination and accountability.  He said a great deal of aid has already been poured into Haiti, and it's important that money be spent properly and effectively. US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton also stressed the need for accountability:

"We bear a responsibility to our taxpayers to assure that the money our government commits will be well spent, transparently, with results on the ground for the Haitian people."
 
Ms Clinton added that donor nations must act as Haiti’s partners and not patrons. Aid efforts, she said, should be Haitian-led. Robert Fox, the executive director of Oxfam Canada also warned donors to avoid past mistakes:
 
"We see that when someone arrives from the outside with an answer and moves ahead too quickly in implementing that, it's disastrous for the people.  If at the end of this process we rebuild the Haiti that existed two weeks ago, we’ll have failed."
 
Questions remain

The Montreal conference had two objectives: to assess the effectiveness of aid distribution in Haiti, and to establish a plan for long-term reconstruction. Canada's Foreign Minister, Lawrence Cannon, who hosted the meeting, was positive about the outcome:
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"We now have the beginnings of a road map towards Haiti's long term reconstruction and a clear and sustained commitment to follow through.  I welcome the considerable contributions announced today by partners around the table."
 
Cannon nevertheless admitted the meeting could not answer many difficult questions, such as how much the reconstruction is expected to cost and where the money will come from.  

Donor countries have agreed to hold a full conference on aid to Haiti at the UN headquarters in New York in March.