United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is in Haiti to observe efforts by international peacekeepers to stabilize the nation, which has been ravaged by poverty and violence.
The U.N. chief arrived in the capital, Port-au-Prince, earlier Wednesday for talks with President Rene Preval and other officials on the country's progress.
Mr. Ban is expected to visit the headquarters of the U.N. Stabilization Mission (MINUSTAH) in the capital as he witnesses U.N. efforts to provide security and other assistance.
His agenda will include a visit to the slum of Cite Soleil, where the mission repaired a water tower, and a meeting with the neighborhood's mayor. Haiti is the first stop on a two-nation Caribbean tour that will take the secretary-general to Barbados as well.
Close to 9,000 U.N. peacekeepers arrived in Haiti in 2004, following a revolt that toppled President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. They still provide most of the country's security needs while preparing domestic police forces to take over.
Haiti is the Western Hemisphere's poorest country.
