In its press release issued on 12th February, the Swiss Federal Office of Justice states that, pending an appeal against the decision by Duvalier, the money will be handed over to Haiti for "social or humanitarian projects to benefit the Haitian population."

The release lacks precise details about which entities in Haiti will receive the money, but the implication is that part of it will be handed over to the Government of Haiti and part of it to non-governmental organisations. The HSG hopes that the Swiss authorities will make every possible effort to ensure that the monies are used to really benefit the Haitian people.

Specifically, the HSG advocates that the monies are used for initiatives that contribute to the profound structural change that is needed if the Haitian people are to build a sustainable future for the country. In this context, the HSG notes that the Haitian Platform to Advocate for Alternative Development (PAPDA) has already suggested that the Duvalier money be used to help carry out an agrarian reform.

In Haiti, agrarian reform refers not only to the redistribution of unused state-owned land, but also to the implementation of policies that will revitalise the agricultural sector, such as the provision of subsidised credit, fertilisers and tools, and the extension and modernisation of irrigation systems.

Two-thirds of the population derives its livelihood from agriculture, yet centuries of neglect and decades of exploitation have left the agricultural sector seriously underdeveloped. Haiti currently has to import more than half the food it consumes, leaving it at the mercy of international market forces.