Monday's meeting is setting the framework for rebuilding Port Au Prince

The Ministerial Preparatory Conference on Haiti is a precursor to a larger donor coordination conference expected to take place in the coming months.

Ministers and delegates from twenty countries including the United States, France, Mexico, and Brazil were attending as well as officials of the the UN and the World Bank.

A Caribbean Community (Caricom) delegation is being led by former Jamaica prime minister P J Patterson.

Ten years to rebuild

The Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, who is hosting the meeting, says it will take at least ten years to rebuild Haiti after this month's devastating earthquake.

Earlier, the Haitian prime minister, Jean Max Bellerive, said his government could lead the re-building - but he added it would need to rely strongly on its international partners.

On her way to the meeting, the US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said international donors and organizations had been mapping out a plan for the country's development for months before the quake.

	Clinton: Plan for Haiti's development had been in the works

"I don't want to start from scratch, but we have to recognize the changed challenges that we are now confronting," she said.

Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive said his government needs to rely strongly on its partners but he asserted that Haiti is able to lead the rebuilding effort after the massive 7.0 quake on 12 January.

Coordinating assistance

Monday's conference was focusing on coordinating assistance from the international community for Haiti as the country confronts unprecedented immediate and long-term challenges.

Organisers of the meeting have spoken about "establishing a clear and common vision within the international community for the early recovery and longer-term reconstruction of Haiti".

According to a statement, "the conference will provide an opportunity to assess the present state of affairs in Haiti".

It's also to "ensure that the UN is fully supported to focus international efforts to help the Haitian people meet the current challenges as they prepare for long-term stabilisation and reconstruction".