YouSaid · the spoken record

La Lime

lines on the record: 95
first: 2018-12-12
most recent: 2023-01-24
sittings or episodes: 10
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“The third element that will reinforce both the HNP and those developments is the deployment of an international specialized force, as requested by the Government in October. That has yet to materialize. The reality is that, without that international deployment operating in an integrated way with the HNP, the very positive effects of the political process and the sanctions so far will remain fragile and vulnerable to being reversed. Haitians overwhelmingly want that assistance so that they can go about their daily lives in peace. The population is living in fear, and it is all too conscious of the limitations of the police force. In this month of remembrance, the people of Haiti, whose suffering never ends, are counting on the Security Council.”
2023-01-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9247 (2023) · source
“Last month, the thirty-second class of cadets — 714 additional officers, including 174 women — entered the force . I thank those partners who contribute to working with the basket fund in support of the HNP. The police are using the armoured vehicles that they purchased, and that continue to arrive in Haiti, to launch operations against gangs, some of which are more successful than others. But the challenge remains maintaining and consolidating the gains made after the operations. As noted in the Secretary-General’s report (S/2023/41), and as I referred to earlier, the National Consensus and sanctions are two important developments that can meaningfully contribute to overcoming the crisis and help to alleviate untold suffering. They offer a clear path to the restoration of democracy and legitimacy.”
2023-01-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9247 (2023) · source
“The agreement, the adherents to which are growing every day, is indeed the most promising sign to emerge from dialogue efforts until now. We are heartened by the positive reactions from major political leaders and international partners alike. But implementation will be essential to building confidence around the agreement. The country urgently needs to see those in positions of influence and leadership, whether at the national or local level, including the diaspora, put aside their differences and do their part for the restoration of legitimate State institutions. The Haitian National Police (HNP) remains a priority for the Government, with an almost 50 per cent increase in the budget allocation for the current year to $162 million.”
2023-01-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9247 (2023) · source
“The Consensus identifies a calendar for installing an elected Government by February 2024 and lists immediate steps to be taken for the promotion of fiscal reforms to increase State revenue collection and restore public services. A High Transitional Council has now been established and named. It will work with the Government to make nominations to the Court of Cassation — the country’s highest court — and the Provisional Electoral Council, and it will appoint a committee to review the Constitution. The agreement is by no means a done deal, and it remains fundamentally open. A series of round tables, which will include discussions on establishing an inclusive electoral road map and a national security plan, provides opportunities for those who are interested in, but who have not yet committed to, engaging in the effort.”
2023-01-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9247 (2023) · source
“As I noted in my most recent briefing to the Council in December (see S/PV.9233), bilateral sanctions were also welcomed during that period. Such measures are creating space for additional political dialogue and necessary reforms. That has been reinforced by encouraging developments in the judiciary, with new steps being taken on both the vetting of judges and the reduction of pretrial detention levels. The second development was taking shape as I briefed the Council on 21 December. It culminated later that day with the signing of the National Consensus for an Inclusive Transition and Transparent Elections by a broad spectrum of political figures, civil society organizations, religious authorities, trade unions and, for the first time ever, the private sector.”
2023-01-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9247 (2023) · source
“The expiration of the mandate of the 10 senators holding office on 9 January means that there is not one elected official left in the country. While a profound challenge, that institutional vacuum presents an opportunity for Haiti to take stock, look at the root causes of the dysfunction and set the country on a course to address them. Two key developments, if properly supported, can help to chart a path back to accountability, the rule of law and the restoration of democratic institutions. The first development was driven by the members of the Security Council, namely, the unanimous adoption of resolution 2653 (2022), establishing sanctions measures on those supporting criminal activities and violence involving armed groups.”
2023-01-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9247 (2023) · source
“Besieging and displacing whole populations already living in extreme poverty, gangs have intentionally blocked access to food, water and, amid a cholera outbreak, health services. Approximately 5 million people are facing conditions of acute hunger across the country. While 90 per cent of schools are now operating, thousands of children, especially those living in gang-affected areas, have yet to start the school year. There are increasing reports of minors being recruited to serve in gangs. The humanitarian response plan will likely be almost double that of 2022. I urge donors to continue to give generously in order to help to address the immediate needs, as well as the long-term development gaps that exist in the country.”
2023-01-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9247 (2023) · source
“A total of 2,183 were reported in 2022, touching nearly all segments of society, including a former presidential candidate and the director of the National Police Academy. Forthcoming reporting by the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti, along with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, establishes that turf wars involving two gang coalitions — the G9 and the G-Pep — reached unprecedented levels in several neighbourhoods of Cité Soleil. The violence is part of well-defined strategies designed to subjugate populations and expand territorial control. Gangs have increasingly resorted to the deliberate killing of men, women and children — some of them as young as 10-years-old being brutally raped — as a tactic to spread fear and destroy the social fabric of communities under the control of rival gangs.”
2023-01-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9247 (2023) · source
“Ms. La Lime: January is a bitter-sweet month for Haiti, as celebrations of independence are accompanied by painful remembrance of the devastating earthquake that on 12 January 2010 ravaged the capital, killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced thousands more. Commemorations of the tragedy this year were muted, overshadowed by the protracted crisis the country is facing as years of hard-fought recovery gains are being undone and Haitians grapple with setting the country back on a path to democracy. Gang-related violence has reached levels not seen in decades. Murders and kidnappings increased for a fourth consecutive year: 1,359 kidnappings were recorded in 2022, more than doubling the number recorded in 2021 and averaging roughly four per day. Murders are also up by a third over the previous year.”
2023-01-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9247 (2023) · source
“A significant number of Haitian interlocutors have welcomed the recent work of the Security Council. They support the adoption of sanctions as a crucial tool in combating corruption and impunity. Nonetheless, sanctions will be most effective as part of a comprehensive approach — one that includes both the ongoing political dialogue and enhanced operational security support to the HNP, as outlined in the Secretary-General’s letter of 8 October. Those three approaches in parallel will be essential to restoring order, public confidence and the hope that the country’s tomorrow can be better. Haitians deserve no less.”
2022-12-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9233 (2022) · source
“Civil society groups, political organizations, chambers of commerce and religious groups are increasingly calling for international operational support to the police, with clear parameters on terms of engagement, and an integrated approach, that would work alongside the HNP, and not substitute for it. I am grateful to those donors that have committed themselves to the joint programme in support to the HNP, with $17.8 million pledged so far to the multi-donor basket fund. Programmes to counter illicit weapons and financial flows are now also moving, with clear national ownership. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has provided legal support in drafting the new customs code and is currently mapping transnational criminal networks to understand the reality and extent of firearms and drug trafficking in Haiti.”
2022-12-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9233 (2022) · source
“While the Government continues to invest in the Haitian National Police (HNP), with six new armoured vehicles received in October and a dozen more expected in the new year, the force continues to be underresourced and insufficiently equipped to address the enormity of the task ahead. Further compounding the challenges posed by the gangs is the fact that the HNP continues to shrink. Rising attrition levels have brought its operational strength to under 13,000 personnel, with fewer than 9,000 available as active-duty officers. Yes, some effective operations against the gangs in Port-au-Prince have been mounted, but holding those security gains continues to be a challenge. The HNP needs assistance in the form of a specialized force, as outlined in the Secretary-General’s letter of 8 October (S/2022/747).”
2022-12-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9233 (2022) · source
“The 8 December appeal by private sector actors for changes in business practices represented another step in the right direction. It is important that the business community uphold those commitments and strengthen links with civil society and political actors for a solution to the crisis. As I brief the Council, intensive consultations, coupled with efforts to broaden support for the national consensus document, are under way. I encourage all sectors of society, for the sake of the nation, to put aside their differences and forge a common path for taking the country forward.”
2022-12-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9233 (2022) · source
“As the debate grew, the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti continued with its efforts to advance political dialogue. In October and November, civil society groups launched a new round of inclusive consultations on a transitional road map with members of the Montana agreement, private sector associations, trade unions and religious organizations. Out of that process a national consensus document was developed. It includes steps for moving the country to elections within an 18-month time frame, with a transitional council and oversight mechanism. On 6 December, the civil society groups leading those consultations issued their first public communiqué as the Independent Facilitation Committee, calling for a final agreement by the end of 2022. Other stakeholders have also been active.”
2022-12-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9233 (2022) · source
“Close to half the population is food insecure, with some 20,000 people facing famine-like conditions. In addition to the large levels of displacement, 34 per cent of schools remain closed. And while State authorities do their best, with United Nations support, to manage cholera, suspected cases have reached 15,000 throughout the country’s 10 departments. The adoption of resolution 2653 (2021), on 21 October, was widely welcomed by Haitians. Subsequent bilateral sanctions, which followed the publication of the resolution, appeared to generate a renewed sense of urgency on ways to restore democratically elected institutions. Some in civil society called for sanctioned individuals to step back and make space for necessary reforms to restore functioning, transparent institutions.”
2022-12-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9233 (2022) · source
“November witnessed 280 intentional homicides, the highest on record. Equally distressing is the number of abductions for ransom. Reported kidnappings in 2022 have so far exceeded 1,200 cases — double the number recorded in 2021 — making every commute for the average Haitian an ordeal. The increase in recorded rapes reflects a horrendous modus operandi of the gangs, who, as we reported in October (see S/PV.9153), use sexual violence to intimidate and subjugate whole communities. The brutality with which that violence is committed has become a badge of notoriety for perpetrators. Further compounding the plight of the millions living amid the violence is the catastrophic economic situation, with all main roads in and out of the capital under gang control, stymieing trade.”
2022-12-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9233 (2022) · source
“Ms. La Lime: I thank the Security Council for this opportunity to update it on the latest developments in Haiti, which are taking place amid the alarmingly high levels of gang violence in the country. The siege of Haiti’s main fuel terminal, which had coincided with months of protests, orchestrated disruptions and armed roadblocks across the country, came to an end in early November through a concerted effort by the Haitian National Police. Fuel began to flow in a number of neighbourhoods in the Port-au-Prince area, allowing hospitals and businesses to open and creating the semblance of a possible return to normalcy. That hope was quickly dispelled, however, as a new level of gang activity was immediately felt across the capital, marked by spikes in kidnappings, killings and rapes.”
2022-12-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9233 (2022) · source
“Gang violence is critically inhibiting the humanitarian response to a resurgent disease, as well as to hunger, with a record 4.7 million people facing acute hunger, including tens of thousands on the brink of starvation. The urgency of the situation is tearing at the political and social fabric of the country. Any comprehensive resolution requires a Haitian- led political solution, but a political solution continues to be elusive and, on its own, is no longer sufficient to address the current crisis. To support Haitian institutions in their drive for civic order and accountability and to save thousands of lives that would otherwise be lost, members of the Council must act, and decisively so, to help address the persistent scourges of insecurity and corruption in Haiti.”
2022-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9153 (2022) · source
“Gangs continue to injure, kidnap, rape and kill, and the human rights report on sexual violence by gangs, released on Friday, underscores how women and youth are especially affected. Rape is systematically used as a weapon of control and terror. Any enhanced security support to the Haitian National Police should also be accompanied by support to the justice system, not only to ensure proper accountability but also to reinforce nationally led initiatives, such as the proposed judicial units specialized in adjudicating crimes committed by gangs, as well as financial crimes. Economic deprivation is leaving the population more vulnerable than it has been in years.”
2022-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9153 (2022) · source
“As protests demanding the ouster of the Prime Minister and his Government continue, some see in them yet another reminder of the role of entrenched economic and political interests to resist Government efforts to reform State revenues and customs for the benefit of the Treasury and the population at large. And so, the debate on sanctions has taken off. Haitians are actively using both social media and radio debates to express support for serious targeted sanctions against those who are driving violence to prevent changes that threaten long-standing patterns of corruption. As I noted in my briefing last month, under such a state of persistent civil unrest, violence and looting, including of World Food Programme and UNICEF warehouses, basic rights are being flagrantly undermined across the country.”
2022-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9153 (2022) · source
“Those in the private sector who have shown a willingness to support reform should continue to assist in that regard, recognizing that they have an important role to play. It is against that backdrop of insecurity and humanitarian crisis that, on 7 October, the Council of Ministers authorized the Prime Minister to request the support of a specialized international armed force, to help secure the free movement of water, fuel and medical supplies to prevent the situation from deteriorating further. I can only reiterate the Secretary-General’s call on Haiti’s partners to consider that request as a matter of urgency for the immediate relief of those already most vulnerable.”
2022-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9153 (2022) · source
“Since August, civil society has been driving an initiative that came close to finally bringing all stakeholders around a common proposal. With the support of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti, economic, social and political actors began to identify practical ways to move forward, launching a new round of discussions among the various blocs. However, the talks faltered, the spirit of compromise receded, and, in a sad case of déjà vu, vested interests began to redirect the narrative. Nevertheless, the talks are continuing and as late as yesterday, a meeting was held among civil society representatives, with a view to reviving broad consensus. The good offices of the United Nations remain ever more critical to providing opportunities for Haitians to come together and agree on a path to stability for the country.”
2022-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9153 (2022) · source
“It is to be hoped that this weekend’s arrivals in Port-au-Prince of important Haitian-purchased tactical equipment, delivered by Canada and the United States of America, will assist the police in regaining control of the situation. Regarding the political situation, resolution 2645 (2022) generated a sense of urgency because, for the first time, the Council asked the Government to report on its efforts towards a sustainable, time-bound and commonly accepted framework for a political process, led by Haitians. Acting on the Council’s decision, I intensified my efforts to bring key actors around the table and, through constant dialogue, maintained momentum among relevant stakeholders to establish a framework for a renewed political process.”
2022-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9153 (2022) · source
“For all of the Haitian National Police’s accomplishments in re-opening roads and neighbourhoods, the port where fuel is stored remains a challenge. Furthermore, the paucity of fuel is now affecting police mobility and response. Appeals by the diplomatic corps and others, including the United Nations, for the establishment of a humanitarian corridor have gone unheeded. The broader situation is no better. Nearly a thousand kidnappings have been reported in 2022 alone, and general insecurity continues to prevent millions of children from attending classes, isolates entire neighbourhoods and leaves families extorted and burned in their own homes.”
2022-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9153 (2022) · source
“The consequences for Haiti’s basic infrastructure have been severe, disrupting operations at the country’s hospitals and water suppliers and affecting the cholera response. Without fuel, waste is not removed from neighbourhoods, while torrential rains promote flooding, which mixes with refuse to create insalubrious conditions ripe for the spread of disease. Neither the heroic work of the police, which remains critically under-staffed and under-resourced, nor political efforts have succeeded in easing the situation. As ever, it is Haiti’s poorest and most vulnerable citizens who are most affected. The reality is that without free movement of fuel, Haiti will be unable to get ahead of the current crisis.”
2022-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9153 (2022) · source
“Ms. La Lime: When I briefed the Council three weeks ago (see S/PV.9136), I spoke of three intersecting crises —economic, security and political — that were accelerating Haiti’s downward spiral. A humanitarian emergency is now at our doorstep. Within four days of those remarks, the Government confirmed the first case of cholera in Haiti in more than three years. Within weeks, dozens more cases have been confirmed — more than half resulting in death, with hundreds more suspected in the West and Centre Departments. Twenty-five of those deaths were in the prison of Port-au-Prince alone. Cases are also suspected in the prison of Croix-des-Bouquets. As undocumented cholera cases tear through parts of Port-au-Prince, particularly in Cité Soleil, gangs continue to blockade the Varreux terminal, where most of the country’s fuel is stored.”
2022-10-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9153 (2022) · source
“An economic crisis, a gang crisis and a political crisis have converged into a humanitarian catastrophe. We must not lose hope, but rather combine our efforts to find a pathway to a better tomorrow. A Haitian-led political solution is the first necessary step for addressing the current crisis. The Security Council must take urgent action to support Haitians in their effort to build a better future.”
2022-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9136 (2022) · source
“The current generalized insecurity has also severely curtailed humanitarian access. Before the current bout of civil unrest, some 4.9 million Haitians were in a state of humanitarian need. In the past two weeks alone, attacks on World Food Programme (WFP) personnel resulted in the loss of some 2,000 tons of food aid, valued at close to $5 million, which would have collectively supported up to 200,000 of the most vulnerable Haitians over the next month. My colleagues from the WFP will no doubt share more information on those events. It is self-evident that, under such conditions, basic rights — from the freedom of movement to education — are being catastrophically undermined and access to basic social and health services is repeatedly being interrupted. Prisons have not received food, medicine or water for days.”
2022-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9136 (2022) · source
“However, whole neighbourhoods remain unpoliced, and the chronic situation at the Varreux fuel terminal threatens to highlight the very real limits of the national force. I am grateful to those donors that engaged early with the Joint Programme for the Haitian National Police, known as the Basket Fund. I urge international partners to continue meeting regularly, as we did last week, in order to generate more support for the Basket Fund. Investment in institutions, infrastructure and human capacity is key. As ever, it is those who are already most vulnerable who suffer the most. The United Nations system in Haiti estimates that at least 1.5 million people have been directly impacted by recent gang violence, with gender-based violence, in particular rape, being used systematically.”
2022-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9136 (2022) · source
“However, despite efforts to undermine reform, the new customs administration is beginning to operate. In addition to the seizures made in recent months, customs import collections increased fivefold between July and August. Programming on border management with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime aims to build on those early successes, in particular to tackle drug trafficking. The current unrest has put a major focus on the Haitian National Police, which has truly been put to the test. The hard work demonstrated by its removal of roadblocks and the restoration of some semblance of the freedom of movement for the population has elicited a degree of trust in its capacities. While some barricades were quickly re-erected, the institution’s response has demonstrated how far it has come.”
2022-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9136 (2022) · source
“While inconclusive efforts have led to a perceived stalemate so far, national stakeholders have begun to re-engage with a renewed sense of urgency. In the past weeks, Government representatives, political groups and civil society organizations launched new consultations on ways to forge a broader consensus on a path to elections, but we are not there yet. It is encouraging to see private-sector leaders also starting to come together, pledging to meet their respective fiscal and legal responsibilities. Sustained increases in revenues will be the clearest sign that that commitment is being met by all sides. A number of observers and interlocutors have publicly pointed towards the role of entrenched economic and political interests in driving, sustaining and manipulating the unrest, deepening the political crisis.”
2022-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9136 (2022) · source
“He urged people to come together in support of the reforms that the Government was implementing to make the State stronger, and he encouraged all to resist vested interests. Later that same day, one of the largest alliances of criminal gangs in the capital blocked the nation’s main fuel terminal in Varreux, in Port-au-Prince. The state of siege has remained in place for more than a week despite concerted police operations over the weekend, cutting the capital off from its primary source of fuel, creating shortages across the country and closing down hospitals. Throughout the crisis, I have maintained my good- offices efforts with all sectors of Haitian society and encouraged all sides to engage in a broad, open and constructive dialogue.”
2022-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9136 (2022) · source
“He highlighted the $600 million a year lost every year by the State through uncollected customs proceeds — a problem with which the Government has been struggling for some time. He announced the Government’s decision to reduce regressive subsidies on fuel, which cost the State some $400 million a year, as a means of increasing revenue for social programmes. By the afternoon of 12 September, roadblocks had been set up throughout the country, generating a countrywide lockdown. That situation persisted in the capital for a full five days, until 16 September, when the police began concerted action to remove the roadblocks. The Prime Minister again addressed the nation on 18 September, extending his sympathies to the victims of the violence.”
2022-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9136 (2022) · source
“Ms. La Lime: Over the past several weeks, three crises have begun to intersect in altogether new and frightening ways in Haiti. A gang crisis continues to violently disrupt daily life, driving more than 20,000 people from their homes. An economic crisis has the country in a stranglehold, with Haitians facing soaring food prices and fuel often available only on the black market. As those trials play out and the Haitian people engage in a legitimate protest, political stakeholders are still struggling to find common ground and define a path to elections. In his 11 September address to the nation, the Prime Minister again launched a call for ongoing dialogue as a means to create the necessary security, constitutional and political conditions for elections by the end of 2023.”
2022-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9136 (2022) · source
“Similarly, under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the peace and security and development arms of the United Nations will continue to work hand in hand to support Haiti in moving from emergency assistance to longer-term stability and enduring development.”
2022-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9066 (2022) · source
“This year, some 4.9 million Haitians are expected to require humanitarian assistance, with at least 4.5 million people forecasted to need urgent food assistance. It is essential that Haiti remain at the forefront of the international community’s agenda and that national authorities receive the assistance they need to address those interconnected challenges. Nonetheless, only Haitians hold the key to unlocking sustainable solutions to the country’s protracted crisis. BINUH will continue to encourage all parties to constructively engage and come together to chart a common, consensual path to a return to democracy.”
2022-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9066 (2022) · source
“Every effort must also be made to efficiently prepare and implement the long-standing criminal code reform, which aims to further align the Haitian legal framework with international norms and standards. The protracted insecurity and prolonged political uncertainty, combined with the dire economic situation and the growing humanitarian needs, are severely hindering the country’s socioeconomic development, widening economic inequalities and undermining peacebuilding efforts. With the gross domestic product having contracted by 1.8 per cent in 2021 as Government revenues shrank, Haiti’s economic situation remains a serious cause for concern. Meanwhile, humanitarian needs continue to increase, particularly in the aftermath of the earthquake that devastated the southern peninsula last August.”
2022-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9066 (2022) · source
“The stalled investigation into the assassination of late President Moïse — to which the fifth judge in 11 months was recently assigned — epitomizes the deeply entrenched issues affecting Haiti’s judicial system, a branch crippled by limited financial and material resources, frequent strikes by judicial personnel and the deteriorating security situation. Resolute efforts are needed not only to enable courts to process and try a myriad of pending cases but also for prolonged pretrial detention levels to be sustainably reduced. It is urgent for the Government and relevant judicial institutions to reach a consensus on the appointment of Court of Cassation judges in order to allow Haiti’s highest court to resume its activities.”
2022-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9066 (2022) · source
“In late March, a civil society-led tripartite committee was formed to enlarge consensus among various political platforms, including the Government, to forge a common path forward. In parallel, Prime Minister Henry has been holding direct talks with the leadership of the Montana Group, which has proposed new modalities to relaunch formal negotiations. Yet, with the formation of a new Provisional Electoral Council frustratingly still a distant prospect and the organ having effectively ceased to function for many months, it is highly unlikely that elections, which would usher a return to democratic governance, will be held this year.”
2022-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9066 (2022) · source
“The country has been without a functioning Parliament for two and a half years, was left aghast by the assassination of its President almost a year ago and in addition is suffering from an almost complete paralysis of its justice sector. To date, the multiple initiatives and proposals to foster a common vision among national stakeholders as to how Haiti can move forward have yielded few concrete results. On the contrary, previously homogeneous coalitions have started to fracture. Amid that growing political polarization, the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) is intensely focused on reviving contacts between parties at all levels, notably through a series of informal gatherings aimed at encouraging consensus on a path towards elections.”
2022-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9066 (2022) · source
“More than ever, Haiti requires immediate assistance to develop its National Police and counter increasing criminality and violence. The HNP currently lacks the human, material and financial resources to effectively fulfil its mandate. Its limited operational and logistical capacities compromise the implementation of a comprehensive public safety agenda that relies on intelligence-led policing and violence reduction. It is therefore with great urgency that I call on Member States to provide greater support and contribute to the newly established basket fund managed by the United Nations Development Programme and dedicated to supporting the HNP and helping it address the challenges it is contending with. The acute instability currently affecting Haiti is in large part a result of its prolonged institutional vacuum.”
2022-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9066 (2022) · source
“Movement along the main national roads connecting the capital to the rest of the country is seriously compromised, as gangs have erected barricades to restrict access to areas under their control, severely affecting the flow of goods throughout the country. The pervasive and deepening sense of insecurity exacerbated by the HNP’s seeming inability to address the situation and the manifest impunity with which criminal acts are being committed is dangerously fraying the rule of law in the country. Less than a week ago, the Port-au-Prince Court of First Instance was overrun by a local gang that proceeded to loot and burn both case files and pieces of evidence. In some parts of the country, acts of vigilantism against suspected gang members are increasingly garnering popular support.”
2022-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9066 (2022) · source
“The horrific violence that unfurled over the suburbs of Cité-Soleil, Croix-des-Bouquets and Tabarre in late April and early May, when women and girls were particularly exposed to sexual violence, is only one example of the state of terror into which Haiti’s political and economic heart has been plunged. Dozens of schools, medical centres, businesses and markets have been forced to close. Many people are trapped in their neighbourhoods and sometimes even their residences. At least 17,000 others have been displaced from their homes, and many are struggling to find basic necessities such as food, water and medicine.”
2022-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9066 (2022) · source
“Ms. La Lime: It is an honour to once again provide the Council with an update on the situation in Haiti where, amid a rapidly deteriorating security situation, discussions about the country’s future governance arrangements remain deadlocked in a protracted stalemate. Since I last briefed the Security Council (see S/PV.8969), the grip with which gangs are controlling swathes of the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area has grown increasingly tighter as their zones of influence have expanded. Kidnappings and intentional homicides have risen by 36 and 17 per cent respectively compared to the last five months of 2021. In May alone, the Haitian National Police (HNP) reported 201 intentional homicides and 198 abductions, an average of almost seven cases a day each.”
2022-06-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9066 (2022) · source
“For Haiti to emerge from the acute political and institutional crisis in which is plunged, it is imperative that all Haitian leaders resolve to engage constructively with one another to steer the country towards a process that will allow elections to occur. The international community must also continue to engage with the Haitian Government and other stakeholders not only to support efforts to create the security and political conditions necessary for the holding of national elections but also to ensure that urgent structural reforms are undertaken to tackle gang violence, address impunity and corruption, strengthen the justice system and transform the economy in a sustainable manner. Now is not the time to let Haiti fall off the agenda.”
2022-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8969 (2022) · source
“Earlier this month, Haiti marked three consecutive years without a laboratory-confirmed case of cholera. That watershed moment, which represents a significant step towards eliminating disease in Haiti, was reached thanks to the strong leadership of the Haitian authorities and the Haitian people, the unwavering dedication of front-line workers throughout the country and the partnership of the United Nations and so many other bilateral and multilateral organizations. I truly thank them. While those collective efforts have succeeded, overall the lack of impact and effectiveness of development aid over many years in the country requires us to collectively formulate a new approach, one premised on a deeper coordination of international efforts and a real partnership with the Haitian authorities and Haitian actors.”
2022-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8969 (2022) · source
“It is now estimated that 4.9 million people, or 43 per cent of the country’s population, will be in need of humanitarian assistance in 2022. Coming on the heels of a 21 January ministerial-level meeting chaired by Canada, this week’s international donors conference for the reconstruction of the southern peninsula, which was co-chaired by the Prime Minister and the Deputy Secretary-General, who travelled to Haiti for the event, provided an important opportunity to revitalize the engagement of the international community in support of Haiti and its population. I wish in that regard to express our deep gratitude to Member States for having collectively pledged some $600 million, which will serve to meet the initial needs outlined in the integrated reconstruction plan.”
2022-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8969 (2022) · source
“The Haitian judicial system suffers from grave structural weaknesses, as evidenced by the severe challenges in renewing the terms of judges on time. That cripples the ability of courts to investigate, process and try cases. Modest signs of progress such as the recent increase in the number of hearings held are encouraging and should be supported. Nevertheless, more action is needed to prepare for the entry into force of the new penal and criminal procedure codes and to ensure that reform in the judiciary can be sustained over the long term. The earthquake that destroyed parts of the southern peninsula in August 2021 and killed 2,248 people has added a new layer of complexity to an already dire humanitarian situation.”
2022-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8969 (2022) · source
“Those successes offer hope that resolute and coordinated Government actions will lead to the provision of additional basic services in those communities as well as to their extension to other areas. Our continued support is crucial to the success of that effort. Impunity represents another intractable phenomenon that Haiti urgently needs to address. To date there has been no progress in establishing accountability for the 2020 assassination of Monferrier Dorval, the 2018 massacre in La Saline or the ones that occurred in Bel- Air in 2019 and 2020. Moreover, some seven months after the ghastly assassination of President Moïse, the national investigation into his murder has stalled, a situation that fuels rumours and exacerbates both suspicion and mistrust within the country.”
2022-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8969 (2022) · source
“A law-enforcement approach that incorporates a greater control of the illegal flow of weapons needs to be complemented by socioeconomic projects and reintegration activities aimed at generating employment and revenue in the neighbourhoods most affected by the scourge of gang violence. The Haitian authorities have adopted a national community violence reduction strategy premised on such a holistic approach, and we commend their efforts to ensure that it is swiftly and effectively implemented. As a result of an initiative by the Ministry of Education, several schools in the Port-au-Prince neighbourhoods of Cité-Soleil and La Saline have been able to recently reopen after years of closure, allowing thousands of young people to resume their education.”
2022-02-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8969 (2022) · source