New York  - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and former US president Bill Clinton flew Monday for a one-day visit to Haiti, which is struggling to rebuild from the devastation caused by successive hurricanes last year.

Ban was to fly back on Tuesday to Washington to meet with US President Barack Obama.

Ban said last week that his and Clinton's presence in the impoverished Caribbean nation would help the government of President Rene Preval to gain international assistance for economic recovery in one of the poorest country in the region.

Ban had sought to draw on Clinton's experiences and popularity in helping poor countries. Clinton successfully led the recovery programmes in Indian Ocean nations that suffered heavy damage, both physical and economic, from the December 2004 tsunami.

"The trip will help to focus attention on the importance for new partnerships and new efforts to assist the people and government of Haiti as they continue to 'build back better' from recent storm damage and create a more stable and prosperous future for the children of Haiti," UN spokeswoman Marie Okabe said last week.

She said Ban believes that the Haitian case is "winnable." Ban will discuss with Preval an action plan to achieve economic security for the Haitians, employment opportunities, reforestation and provisions of basic services, including health care.

Ban and Clinton were to spend just one day in Haiti trying to discuss a host of issues on economic recovery.

In Washington on Tuesday, Ban will hold discussions with Obama at The White House on a host of issues, ranging from the global economic crisis, Sudan, Afghanistan to the Middle East, the UN said.

The two leaders were expected to discuss issues on climate change, non-proliferation, human rights, UN reform and US-UN relations, the UN said.

Ban planned to meet with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as well as with members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee. (dpa)