S/PV.10018 Security Council

In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representative of Haiti to participate in this meeting. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. Members of the Council have before them document S/2025/652, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by Panama and the United States of America. The Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution before it. I shall put the draft resolution to the vote now.

The draft resolution received 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 2794 (2025). I now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements after the voting.

First, I would like to thank our co-penholder, Panama, for their constructive leadership on this resolution (resolution 2794 (2025)). We welcome the extension of the mandate of the Panel of Experts on Haiti and the renewal of the travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo measures for a further year. These sanctions are key components of a broader international effort to promote peace and stability in Haiti and within the region. Just a few weeks ago, the Security Council adopted a resolution (resolution 2793 (2025)) on the establishment of a Gang Suppression Force and a United Nations support office. These measures will restore security in Haiti and bring gangs to their knees. Efforts to tackle immediate security threats in Haiti support a broader approach to address the multifaceted drivers of instability. That approach includes holding accountable those fueling further violence. We welcome designating two individuals today: Kempes Sanon, the leader of the Bel Air gang, who has played a significant role in consolidating gang power in Port-au-Prince; and Dimitri Herard, who has played a key role in enabling the activities of criminal networks and gangs in Haiti. These designations complement action the United States took earlier today when we domestically sanctioned Dimitri Herard for his support to the Haitian terrorist gang coalition Viv Ansanm and Kempes Sanon, whose Bel Air gang is one of the constituent gangs in the Viv Ansanm terrorist alliance. While we applaud the Council for designating these individuals, the list is not complete. There are more enablers of Haiti’s insecurity evading accountability. We call on Council members to provide full and unqualified support to these designations as we move forward. Haiti deserves better. We will continue pressing for more designations through the Security Council and its subsidiary bodies to ensure the sanctions lists are fit for purpose. We are committed to the people of Haiti, and we

At the outset, we welcome the delegation of Haiti, who honour us with the presence of their Permanent Representative today. I would also like to express my appreciation to all members of the Security Council for their constructive help in this process and for the valuable leadership of the United States on this renewal. Sanctions relating to Haiti, in particular the effective implementation of the arms embargo, is a crucial element in order to once and for all remove the fuel that is feeding the conflict in that country. In addition, as we have noted in other forums, there is a proven symbiotic relationship between certain economic and political elites and the gangs that have today taken the sisterly Republic of Haiti hostage. We therefore regret that, in the annex to this resolution (resolution 2794 (2025)), consensus was not reached on including people who meet that criteria and are causing so much damage to Haitian society. We hope that this renewal, together with other efforts of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti and the Gang Suppression Force, will enable us to achieve the shared goal of a Haiti free of weapons, that is safer and at peace.

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the three African members of the Security Council, namely Algeria, Somalia and my own country, Sierra Leone, plus Guyana (A3+). We welcome the participation of the Permanent Representative of Haiti in this meeting. The A3+ welcomes the adoption of resolution 2794 (2025), renewing the Haiti sanctions regime and mandate of the Panel of Experts on Haiti. We thank the co-penholders, Panama and the United States, for facilitating the negotiations. By adopting this resolution today, the Security Council has yet again reaffirmed its strong commitment to curbing gang violence in Haiti. We have also sent a firm and collective message of support to all of the men, women and children in Haiti who continue to bear the brunt of brutal gang violence that they are not alone, that the Security Council fully intends to use the tools at its disposal to support Haiti’s efforts to quell the destabilizing gang violence in the country and restore security. Moreover, we also welcome the inclusion of new provisions within this text, specifically designed to strengthen the enforcement of the territorial arms embargo. The full implementation of the arms embargo represents an essential pillar in the overall strategy to counter gun violence and curb the proliferation of illegal arms and ammunition in Haiti. The unchecked flow of these weapons and their ammunition exacerbates the security crisis and contributes to human rights abuses, thereby deepening the suffering of vulnerable populations and undermining efforts to restore peace and stability. We continue to underline the importance of strengthening compliance with the sanctions measures and urge all relevant authorities to prioritize building capacities where necessary to ensure full adherence and compliance with the provisions of the sanctions regime and to cooperate with the Panel of Experts by supplying timely and accurate information and responding to their communications. Furthermore, we continue to urge the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the Panel of Experts and other relevant bodies to raise awareness, within Haiti and the region, about the provisions of the regime. Finally, the A3+ once again urges the international community to scale up support to the Haitian National Police and armed forces, where needed, so that they can meet the expectations outlined in this and other relevant resolutions. We remain

We welcome the participation of the representative of Haiti in today’s meeting. Denmark voted in favour of the resolution adopted today by the Security Council to renew the United Nations sanctions regime on Haiti and the mandate of the Panel of Experts on Haiti (resolution 2794 (2025)). We thank the co-penholders, Panama and the United States, for their efforts on this resolution. We further welcome the additional names of individuals added to the United Nations sanctions list. Denmark strongly supports the use of targeted sanctions regarding Haiti. These are critical tools of the Council to target individuals and entities that are complicit in or having engaged in actions that threaten the peace, security and stability of Haiti. Full implementation of the United Nations arms embargo on Haiti to stem the illicit flow of arms and ammunition must be a priority. We hope to see greater enforcement of the arms embargo, without which Haiti will continue to be caught in a spiral of violence and insecurity. Denmark deeply regrets that this resolution omits crucial references to sexual and gender-based violence. In the light of widespread human rights abuses in Haiti, with a disproportionate impact on women and children, we believe it is very important to underscore the crime of sexual and gender-based violence in the United Nations sanctions regime. Sexual and gender-based violence must be considered as an important metric for the Council when it examines the situation in Haiti. It is important that it is taken into account when the Council reviews its measures relating to the sanctions regime. Using only the term “sexual violence” and omitting “gender” precludes accountability for other frequent violations against women’s, girls, and LGBTQI+ people based on their gender or sexual orientation. The international community must stand with Haiti now. We need to scale up support for security and humanitarian efforts to put Haiti on its path for lasting peace and security.

China welcomes the unanimous adoption by the Security Council of this resolution (resolution 2794 (2025)), which renews the mandate of the Haiti sanctions regime for a year. We thank the penholders for their efforts, and I take this opportunity to commend Guyana for conscientiously fulfilling its mandate as Chair of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 2653 (2022), concerning Haiti, over the past year. My thanks also go to the Committee and the Panel Experts on Haiti for their work. The Security Council sanctions regime targeting Haitian gangs is a key measure to contain violent crimes committed by gangs and improve the security situation in Haiti. Over the past three years, Council members have been striving to improve the sanctions regime, in particular by continuously strengthening the arms embargo measures. At present, gang violence remains rampant in Haiti. The inflow of illegal weapons has yet to be stemmed. The risk of proliferation of weapons is constantly rising, and the security situation on the ground is growing more complicated with each passing day. Efforts towards real implementation and effectiveness of the arms embargo and to strengthen the monitoring and oversight of arms and ammunition face many difficulties and challenges. Through the efforts of China and other Council members, the resolution that was just adopted requests Member States to take effective measures to strengthen border control, prevent the trafficking of weapons, support the Haitian authorities in stepping up the oversight of weapons and ammunition, and report the progress in terms of implementation to the sanctions Committee and its Panel of Experts. At the same time, it is regrettable that the resolution fails to formulate, as requested by Security Council members, more detailed and verifiable provisions on how the external security force and Haitian authorities will strengthen the regulatory work with regards to weapons and ammunition. We call on the parties concerned to live up to their responsibilities towards the people of Haiti and to the international community and to implement the sanctions in line with the most rigorous standards. To this end, the sanctions Committee and the Panel of Experts should enhance monitoring efforts. China welcomes the resolution’s update of the sanctions list. We are ready to work closely with Council members to continue advancing the work on listing for sanctions in order to create strong deterrence against the gangs. The sanctions regime is only one of the tools with which to respond to the crisis in Haiti. Resolving the multiple crises in Haiti calls for an integrated approach and ultimately depends on Haiti’s own efforts. All political parties and factions in Haiti must strengthen unity, show responsibility, effectively advance the Haitian-led and Haitian-owned political process and truly dedicate themselves to the country’s stability and development. China stands ready to continue working with the international community and play a constructive role to enable Haiti to emerge from the crisis and achieve independence and self-reliance at an early date.

We welcome the participation of the Permanent Representative of Haiti in the meeting today. Pakistan thanks the delegations of the United States and Panama for their work on the resolution (resolution 2794 (2025)). We appreciate their flexibility in accommodating the views and concerns of various delegations, maintaining the traditional consensus on this resolution. Pakistan views United Nations sanctions as a means to an end. Sanctions, where necessary and applied judiciously, can serve to address threats to peace by targeting the delinquent individuals and entities, sparing the general populace from negative consequences. Similarly, we believe that the sanctions regime under resolution 2653 (2022) can assist in rectifying the situation in Haiti. Our vote in favour today reflects our commitment and support for bringing normalcy to Haiti and for the collective efforts of the international community to restore peace and stability in the country. Pakistan engaged in the negotiation process on this resolution in a constructive manner. We thank the penholders for agreeing to restore language from resolution 2752 (2024), including on due process and the focal point mechanism. During the negotiations, our emphasis on the need to have a consensus resolution arose from our principled position that consensus helps to build legitimacy for sanctions measures, which in turn aids their effective implementation. We are thus particularly pleased with the resolution’s unanimous adoption. Recognizing, inter alia, the importance and need for controlling the proliferation of small arms and ammunition in Haiti, Pakistan supports the resolution’s call to strengthen implementation of the arms embargo, including through enhanced collaboration amongst the Haitian authorities as well as the relevant countries in the region. I take this opportunity to reaffirm Pakistan’s support to the work of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 2653 (2022) concerning Haiti and its Panel of Experts. We will continue our constructive engagement with the Committee in its work, ably led by Guyana, and play our role in promoting an evidence-based and nimbler decision-making process. To conclude, we reiterate our firm support for

Slovenia thanks the penholders, Panama and the United States, for their efforts in steering the renewal of the sanctions regime on Haiti. We voted in favour of the resolution (resolution 2794 (2025)) to further support the restoration of peace, security and stability in the country. The Council must make full use of all available tools to counter the capacity of armed gangs to expand their territorial control and to commit grave human rights abuses against the Haitian population. In this respect, we welcome today’s adoption of the resolution and the extension of sanctions on two individuals leading and supporting armed gangs in Haiti. Amid unprecedented levels of gang violence and brutality, the situation in Haiti remains gravely concerning. Killings, sexual and gender-based violence, hunger and displacement are only some of the many dimensions of a devastating cycle of suffering affecting the Haitian population. According to the latest report of the Secretary-General, which the Council will discuss in a few days, women and children continue to bear the heaviest burden of this suffering. In this respect, we regret the omission of references to “gender-based violence” in the resolution’s text and strongly encourage the penholders to take this issue into consideration in the next renewal. The adoption of today’s resolution is not an end in itself but an important milestone on which we must continue to build. The Council’s efforts to improve the humanitarian, human rights, political and security situation in Haiti must continue. In this process, we reaffirm our unwavering solidarity with the people of Haiti, whose best interests will continue to guide the Council’s future work.

We welcome the participation of the Permanent Representative of Haiti in this meeting. Greece welcomes the adoption of this resolution (resolution 2794 (2025)) and thanks the co-penholders, Panama and the United States, for their work. Greece voted in favour of the resolution, given the urgency of the security situation in Haiti, with gang violence continuing unabated. We believe that the sanctions regime, if fully implemented, can contribute significantly to curbing the criminal activities of gangs and ending corruption and impunity. We welcome the strengthened provisions of the resolution on the arms embargo. We also believe that the provisions on due process and delisting procedures, including the mandate of the focal point for delisting, are important elements. At the same time, we regret the omission of references to gender-based violence in the resolution, particularly as one of the benchmarks to review the appropriateness of the sanctions. We call on all stakeholders of the new security architecture in Haiti, including the Government, international organizations, Member States, the Gang Suppression Force, the United Nations Support Office in Haiti and the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti, to continue coordinating with a view to the full implementation of the sanctions regime. To conclude, Greece remains committed to working closely with our fellow Security Council members on the Haiti file.

France thanks Panama and the United States for their efforts in adopting this resolution (resolution 2794 (2025)). France welcomes the unanimous adoption of resolution 2794 (2025), which renews the sanctions regime in Haiti for one year. This sanctions regime is an essential tool for the Council to help to restore stability in the country by contributing to the fight against gangs and the trafficking of arms and ammunition that fuels them. Finally, France recalls that women and girls in Haiti continue to be victims of sexual and gender-based violence committed by gangs. We regret that the resolution does not contain an explicit mention of this issue, at a time when these human rights violations should, on the contrary, be taken into account in the assessment of the situation in Haiti.

I welcome the participation of the Permanent Representative of Haiti today. The United Kingdom condemns, without reservation, the violence that continues to undermine efforts to restore democratic rule in Haiti. We remain committed to using United Nations sanctions to maintain pressure on those who seek to destabilize Haiti. We welcome this mandate renewal and thank the United States and Panama for their efforts. It is vital that the Council remains fully informed of the scale and nature of the violence being perpetrated in Haiti, including the alarming reports of widespread sexual and gender-based violence. The targeting of women and girls in Haiti because of their gender is unacceptable. This includes forced marriage, harassment, assault, forced labour and forms of trafficking, kidnapping and sexual violence. Sanctions remain an essential tool to address insecurity in Haiti and to alleviate the suffering of the Haitian people. We will continue to work with all Council members to this end.

I will now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of the Russian Federation. The Russian Federation supported the resolution presented by the United States and Panama on the extension of the sanctions regime on Haiti (resolution 2794 (2025)). We are grateful to the penholders for fine-tuning the document and taking into account our concerns regarding the designations. We take a balanced approach when it comes to the use of sanctions by the Council and view them as one of the very strong tools in the Security Council’s arsenal, which should be used in a targeted manner and commensurate with emerging threats. In the context of Haiti, it is undoubtedly very important to ensure the observance of the arms embargo. This responsibility lies primarily with those States from which illicit arms continue to flow to the island in an unchecked manner. As for targeted sanctions, we have no objection to introducing them against obviously criminal elements. At the same time, we are consistent in saying that international restrictions should not be applied with the view to fundamentally reshaping the political landscape of Haiti. It is therefore advisable to refrain from designating those who, in the future, may be able to play a role in the country’s political life, in particular during such a fragile transitional period as the one we are currently witnessing. We believe that any further expansion of this or other sanctions lists should be carried out through the special consensus-based decision-making mechanism within relevant committees. I now resume my functions as President of the Council. I give the floor to the representative of Haiti. The Haitian Government pays special attention to the work of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 2653 (2022) concerning Haiti and the Panel of Experts on Haiti in their coordination with the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Multinational Security Support Mission, which has now become the Gang Suppression Force. It is to be hoped that their joint efforts, together with those of the Republic of Haiti, will help to shed light on the complex links between gangs, arms dealers and the financing of criminal activities, thus leading to the networks that support these activities being dismantled. Haiti believes the sanctions regime could be an effective instrument of deterrence and justice if it is well-implemented and respected by all Member States. It makes it possible to target and combat those who fuel violence, while breaking the economic and political networks that support armed gangs. The Haitian Government therefore supports the renewal, for a further period of one year, of the measures relating to the travel ban, the assets freeze and the arms embargo, as set out in previous resolutions. Haiti reaffirms its commitment to cooperating with the 2653 Committee and the Panel of Experts, in particular in sharing information, verifying entities subject to sanctions and implementing Council decisions. It also welcomes the resolution’s provisions encouraging regional coordination and joint briefings between the Committee, United Nations agencies and countries in the region, to raise awareness of illicit supply routes and promote a collective and holistic approach to arms trafficking. This sanctions regime is a complementary pillar to the Multinational Security Support Mission, authorized by resolution 2699 (2023) and recently transformed into the Gang Suppression Force by resolution 2793 (2025). These two mechanisms are designed to restore public security, consolidate the rule of law and create the conditions necessary for holding elections. Admittedly, given the current situation, the balance sheet remains mixed. The gangs continue to be regularly supplied with heavy weapons and ammunition from outside. We therefore launch an urgent appeal to every State, in particular Haiti’s neighbouring States, to show the utmost vigilance in controlling transfers of arms, ammunition and related materiel, and to cooperate genuinely with the sanctions Committee and its Panel of Experts to ensure the effective and transparent application of the measures adopted. The Haitian Government takes note of the list of names of persons contained in the annex to this resolution and designated by the Committee. The cases of these people will be handled in accordance with current Haitian law. I do not want to conclude without expressing my appreciation for Guyana’s work as Chair of the sanctions Committee. Next year we will probably have another country chairing the Committee, but Guyana has carried out commendable work.