S/PV.5368 Security Council

I should like to inform the Council that I have received a letter from the representative of Haiti, in which he requests to be invited to participate in the consideration of the item on the Council’s agenda. In conformity with the usual practice, I propose, with the consent of the Council, to invite that representative to participate in the discussion, without the right to vote, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter and rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure. There being no objection, it is so decided.

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. Members of the Council have before them document S/2006/60, which contains the report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti. After consultations among members of the Security Council, I have been authorized to make the following statement on behalf of the Council: “The Security Council commends the Haitian people on the holding of the first round of national elections on 7 February 2006 with high voter turnout, and congratulates them on taking this fundamental step towards the restoration of democracy and stability in their country. The Council calls on all parties to respect the outcome of the elections, remain engaged in the political process and renounce all forms of violence. The Council wishes to thank the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), the Organization of American States and others in the international community for providing crucial assistance to the Transitional Government and the Conseil Electoral Provisoire during this period. “The Security Council underlines that the electoral process should lead to the inauguration of a representative Government. The Council reiterates the importance of national, municipal and local elections as pillars of democratic governance in Haiti. The Council emphasizes that, once the new Government takes office, Haitians should continue to promote national reconciliation and political dialogue in order to strengthen their democracy and to ensure social, economic and political stability. “The Security Council, while recognizing the importance of the elections for democratic institutions and procedures, stresses that they do not constitute the sole means to address Haiti’s longer-term problems and that significant challenges remain, in particular in the fields of rule of law, security and development. Tackling these challenges will require the long-term engagement of the international community.” This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/2006/7. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.