New York, NY —

Former President Bill Clinton says reconstruction in Haiti continues to move slowly, five months after the January earthquake. But he says it's important for rebuilding efforts to address Haiti's longstanding problems, especially the lack of education.

"Only about half of the children in the country have ever gone to school and I am determined in this reconstruction to set up a universal education system," Clinton said at a mid-year meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative, his organization for improving health care, education, and technology in the developing world.

The former president, who is a U.N. Special Envoy to Haiti, is recruiting private companies to help rebuild Haiti. Today, he called on corporate leaders to make the island a technological showcase.

"How crazy is it to think of making Haiti completely energy independent, with solar and wind and burning solid waste and other things? How crazy is it to make it a completely digital country?" he asked.

Clinton says reconstruction efforts since the January earthquake continue to be hampered by the devastation of government buildings and financial institutions in particular.