S/PV.6471 Security Council

I thank you, Sir, for this opportunity to brief the Council on the situation in Haiti just over a year after the devastating earthquake of 12 January 2010. I would, of course, like to begin by once again paying tribute to the memory of the victims of the earthquake, who numbered more than 220,000, and especially to the 102 United Nations staff members who lost their lives. A few significant developments have taken place since my last briefing on 10 December. Council members will recall that the announcement of the preliminary results of the first round of presidential elections by the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) on 7 December sparked demonstrations in a number of areas throughout the country. The demonstrators and many political and civil society actors denounced what they presumed to be massive fraud in favour of the candidate of the presidential camp. On 14 December, the President of the Republic decided to invite a mission of electoral experts from the Organization of American States (OAS) to assess the electoral process. On 29 December, the Haitian Government, the CEP and the Joint OAS-Caribbean Community Electoral Observation Mission signed an agreement defining the terms of reference of that mission, the objectives of which included the evaluation of the practices and procedures used during the presidential elections of 28 November 2010, in particular the tabulation of votes, and to issue recommendations aimed at correcting the irregularities that had marred the first round of elections. The OAS mission submitted its report to the Haitian Government on 13 January. On 17 January, during a visit to Port-au-Prince by the Secretary- General of the OAS, Mr. José Miguel Insulza, the Government committed itself to submitting the OAS report to the CEP in order to ensure that it would take its recommendations into account during the dispute procedure leading to the announcement of the definitive results of the first round. The report was then distributed to the member States of the OAS and published yesterday, 19 January. The dispute procedure should resume tomorrow, 21 January. It is now up to the CEP to continue its work and bring the process to fruition, in accordance with the provisions of the Haitian Constitution and the Electoral Law. Only then will the CEP be in a position to announce the final results of the first round. According to the terms of the agreement between the Government, the CEP and the OAS, a second OAS mission will soon be deployed to provide the CEP with technical and legal assistance for this contentious phase of the electoral process. According to the latest information we possess, the CEP intends to announce the final results of the first round on 31 January so as to be in a position to organize the second round of voting around mid-February. This is of course preliminary information. In the meantime, it is now well known that on 16 January former President Jean-Claude Duvalier arrived in Port-au-Prince. On 18 January, he was brought before the Prosecutor’s Office and questioned by the Public Prosecutor, who had filed a complaint against him. He was then released, but must remain available to the court. A number of other complaints have been filed against him since then, in particular yesterday. (spoke in English) Since the announcement of the preliminary results of the presidential elections in December, Haiti has been paralysed by political uncertainty. After a year marked by the devastating earthquake of 12 January 2010 and the ongoing cholera epidemic, it is of paramount importance that the current political crisis be brought to a swift conclusion so that the Government and the people of Haiti can focus on the challenges of reconstruction and recovery. President Préval’s decision to invite the OAS to undertake an assessment of the first round of the 28 November elections was an important first step towards finding a peaceful way out of the current impasse. Having officially received the report of the OAS technical mission, the CEP must now honour its commitment to fully take into account the report’s recommendations with a view to ensuring that the results of the elections truly reflect the will of the Haitian people. Should the CEP decide otherwise, Haiti may well be faced with a constitutional crisis and the possibility of considerable unrest and insecurity. At this critical juncture, it is vital that the CEP be allowed to carry out its work without political interference and in full accordance with Haiti’s Constitution and laws. I urge Member States to continue working with all parties to ensure that the CEP is able to steer the electoral process towards an outcome that is both credible and legitimate. The Special Representative of the Secretary- General for Haiti, Mr. Edmond Mulet, and his team have remained in close and constant contact with all key stakeholders on the ground, including President Préval, the main presidential candidates, the private sector, civil society and key members of the international community. Last week, I myself travelled to Haiti to participate in the one-year commemoration of the 12 January earthquake, where I also met with President Préval, Prime Minister Bellerive, the core group of ambassadors and other key stakeholders. In the critical days and weeks ahead, it is vital that the international community stand united in impressing upon all relevant actors in Haiti the need to set aside their narrow partisan interests and work towards a better future for their country. For the time being, the overall security situation remains calm, although there have been some sporadic instances of violence related to the tense political climate. The United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) continues to work closely with the Haitian National Police to maintain public order and protect the civilian population, as well as key installations. Throughout this difficult period, the Haitian National Police have continued to conduct themselves in a highly professional manner, for which they should be commended. Nevertheless, the risk of further violence and unrest is ever-present, especially in this particular climate and in the coming weeks, and MINUSTAH will of course continue to monitor the situation very closely. Under-Secretary-General Amos will brief members on the current efforts to combat the ongoing cholera epidemic. As Council members are aware, MINUSTAH continues to play an active role in the international response to the epidemic, in close cooperation with the members of the United Nations country team. While United Nations efforts remain focused on stemming the spread of the disease and limiting the death rate, we are also committed to shedding further light on the origins of the epidemic. To that end, on 6 January, the Secretary-General announced the creation of an independent panel composed of four world-class medical experts to investigate the cause of the cholera epidemic in Haiti. It is our hope that the panel will help to find the truth and put to rest the issue of the origins of the outbreak. In conclusion, Haiti is at a crossroads. The choices made in coming days will determine whether the country continues to move forward along the path to stability and long-term development. The recommendations of the OAS technical mission provide the elements of a path out of the current crisis and merit our full support. We intend to continue to work with the Government, the CEP and all parties to ensure that dialogue and respect for the country’s laws and institutions ultimately prevail.

I thank Under-Secretary-General Le Roy for his briefing. I now give the floor to Under-Secretary-General Valerie Amos. Ms. Amos: Thank you, Mr. President, for this opportunity to speak about the still extremely grave humanitarian conditions in Haiti and for your continued attention to the situation there. The one year anniversary of the earthquake was an occasion on which we remembered the terrible tragedy that took the lives of more than 200,000 people, among them so many of our colleagues. We will never forget them or their sacrifices. Those of us who are involved in the humanitarian response have also been taking stock of what has been done to help earthquake-affected people over the past year and charting the course for the next 12 months and beyond. Looking back at the humanitarian work done over the past 12 months, and taking into account the devastation that the earthquake caused and the pre- existing difficult conditions in Haiti, a great deal has been accomplished. The United Nations humanitarian agencies, the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), which gave unwavering support to humanitarian work even before the earthquake, without which far less would have been accomplished, the Red Cross and the non-governmental organizations we work with in Haiti have all played their part. Since 12 January 2010, some 1.5 million people have received help with shelter. Of those, about 800,000 are still in camps. The rest have been able to return home or have been provided transitional shelters or other arrangements. At least five litres of drinking water per person are being delivered to 1.2 million people daily. Over 11,000 latrines have been constructed, providing many people with the first modern sanitation they have experienced in their lives. And over 1.1 million children are receiving daily meals through the national school feeding programme, supported by the World Food Programme. Sixty-eight per cent of damaged schools have been cleared of debris, allowing more than 2 million children to return to school. Over the past months, Haiti has been tested further by two shocks that required a major international response. In October, everyone working in Haiti pulled together to prepare the country for Hurricane Tomas. Thankfully, the hurricane did not have the devastating effect that had been feared. But the exercise highlighted the extremely serious vulnerabilities that exist for many of Haiti’s poorest people, earthquake survivors and others. Also in October, the cholera outbreak was confirmed. The outbreak has spread nation-wide and affected almost 200,000 people, with over 3,700 deaths so far. Haiti has ideal conditions for cholera’s spread: poor and non-existing water, sanitation and health care infrastructure in many urban and rural areas and the density of population, especially in the slums of urban cities. And because cholera has not been present in Haiti for over 40 years, knowledge of how to prevent infections was non-existent, and still is, especially in the remote parts of the country. Nonetheless, today the overall case fatality rate has declined from a peak of 9 per cent to around 2 per cent overall, although there are still spikes in some regions. This indicates that while the infection is still spreading around the country, the treatment facilities and the intensive public information campaigns launched to educate people about how to protect themselves are working. In Port-au-Prince the mortality rate has dropped to 1.2 per cent. Continuing this work requires stability in the country. If aid supplies and aid workers cannot move around freely, or if sick people cannot reach help in time, the fatality rate will quickly rise again. There is still an urgent need for massive mobilization activities to promote prevention and early treatment. Malnutrition, chronically weak health systems, appallingly low literacy rates and widespread lack of access to clean water, sanitation and other basic services mean that humanitarian assistance is still an essential lifeline for hundreds of thousands of Haitians. Aid agencies are still providing water to more than 1 million people every day and food to 2 million people every month, as well as helping to keep over 2 million children in schools. These efforts need to continue at least through this year, which is why we have launched another humanitarian appeal for 2011, this time for $906 million — about 50 per cent less than we required in 2010. From that, $174 million is for the cholera response, only 27 per cent of which has been provided to date. We therefore need to scale up and do more, and do it quickly. Much more attention to the cholera response is needed if the improved response of the past weeks is to be sustained. The relief effort has helped millions of people, but it has not, and will not, provide the long-term solutions that are desperately needed. Accelerating recovery efforts must be the absolute priority for 2011. For humanitarian assistance to phase down, recovery and reconstruction need to pick up. The Interim Haiti Reconstruction Commission is central to this effort. We welcome the increased strategic role of the Commission and its support to technical ministries and partners in defining national plans in key areas, such as housing, debris removal and health. But even with that happening, it is important to still be realistic about how long it is going to take to get everybody to where they want to be and need to be. We cannot expect that Haiti, the poorest and least developed country in the western hemisphere before the earthquake, will be rebuilt in one year, or even two. Humanitarian agencies are prepared to stand beside the poorest and most vulnerable Haitian people for as long as it takes to recover from this terrible past year, and through whatever the years ahead might hold. I thank the Council for its continued support.

I thank Ms. Amos for her briefing. I now give the floor to the representative of Haiti.

My delegation would like to thank you, Mr. President, for the holding of this informational meeting concerning my country one year and eight days following the 12 January 2010 disaster, which is seared into the minds of the Haitian people and its brothers, sisters and friends throughout the world. I would like, through you Sir, to commend and thank Under-Secretary-General Alain Le Roy and his colleagues in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations for their efforts, which have greatly benefited my country thanks to the work of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). We would also like to thank Under- Secretary-General Valerie Amos and all the staff of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) for their apt response to the situation in Haiti, which in less than one year suffered three disasters requiring emergency response. I would like to tell Ms. Amos that my delegation is aware that OCHA’s experience in Haiti over the past year was in many respects not easy. Fortunately, however, under her asserted leadership, major challenges have been addressed to the extent possible. At 4.53 p.m. on 12 January 2010 Haiti experienced the saddest moment in its history. To recall the remarks of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in marking the first anniversary of that fateful day: (spoke in English) “Forty-seven seconds. It is not a long time. But the earthquake in Haiti was an eternity of sorrow. One year is not long either.” (spoke in French) Indeed, a large swathe of our country was lost, resulting in more than a quarter of a million deaths among Haitians and foreigners alike; thousands left injured, orphaned or homeless; emotional and physical devastation, desolation and despair. The Government had just put in place its national development plan when this scourge struck the country and everything suddenly changed: priorities had to be reevaluated, and in most cases refocused and/or modified. My delegation will always remember how the international community rallied to the aid of the Haitian people in less than 24 hours after the earthquake. Help arrived from all continents and air, sea and land was opened for the provision of humanitarian aid to Haiti. We will never forget these acts, which reinforce the bonds of friendship and understanding among peoples. We appreciate the gestures from all parts of the world and the generosity of the international community which, at the meeting on 31 March 2010, opened its wallet to pledge contributions that went beyond our expectations. Many donors have already made good on those promises, but not all funds have yet arrived. We nonetheless continue to believe that they will not fail to do so in due time. We must recognize that Haiti needs to be rebuilt, not just patched up. This is an immense undertaking that will take time and call for human, financial and material resources. Well before 12 January 2010, Haiti was already struggling with major problems, which have only become worse. We must bear in mind that many of our colleagues in both the public and private sectors perished under the rubble, while others were handicapped or traumatized or have simply left the country. Services are therefore functioning with greatly reduced capacity and staff. The country faces a great variety of challenges every day, all of them urgent. These challenges are without a doubt difficult to overcome, but they are not insurmountable, with the help of the international community. Those who have taken the floor before me have spoken quite frankly to paint an accurate picture of the situation. There is so much to do that at time we get the impression that nothing has been done. Since its establishment in June 2010, the Interim Haiti Reconstruction Commission, led jointly by Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive and former President of the United States Bill Clinton, has approved 74 projects in various sectors such as education, health, development, agriculture and technical and professional assistance for the public and private sectors. Construction will soon begin on an industrial park in the north of the country, which, when fully operational, will provide jobs to more than 20,000 citizens. A 350-bed teaching hospital is currently under construction in the centre of the country, thanks to cooperation between the Ministry of Health and Partners in Health. A central market has just been restored in Port-au-Prince for the traders of the capital. Commercial activities have resumed and most schools have begun to function again. Public and private services are up and running. The Haitian National Police has started training new officers and the courts are working. We can report that there has been a return to normality, to a certain degree. However, as has already been said, a great deal remains to be done. More than 1 million people are still living in tents that are no longer strong enough to withstand the onslaught of tropical winds and rains. The hurricane season is already upon us and we can no longer afford to hesitate or make mistakes. In addition, there are the devastating effects of the cholera epidemic, which in less than five months has officially claimed more than 3,500 lives and led to almost 90,000 hospitalizations. Fortunately, the response has been appropriate and we can hope that in the near future the health agencies will, with the help of the population, have this scourge under control. We hope that the panel of five experts established by the Secretary-General to investigate the origin of this problem will make its conclusions known soon in order to end speculation. Finally, my delegation would like to recall that, while the day of 12 January 2010 was devastating for Haiti, it also provided a unique opportunity for a new vision of what a modern country should look like: a State focused on development, democracy and respect for human rights that is able to provide basic services to the population, which it must serve and protect. To achieve that goal, we are counting firmly on the continued full, frank and respectful cooperation of the international community. Patience, mutual understanding and continued dialogue are the principles by which we must all be guided.

I thank the representative of Haiti for his statement.

I thank Under-Secretaries-General Le Roy and Amos for their very useful briefings. I also thank our Haitian colleague for his update. We are meeting today a little more than a year after Haiti was struck by a truly devastating earthquake — a blow that lasted just 47 seconds but killed more than 220,000 human beings and left countless more wounded and desperate. The human and economic cost, as we all know, has been staggering, the worst of any natural disaster ever recorded in the western hemisphere. In this Chamber, let me also recall the terrible toll that the quake took on the Organization, claiming the lives of 102 United Nations agency staff and peacekeepers, who had been working together with the Haitian people to bring about a brighter future. A year later, Haiti’s road to recovery is still long and difficult, but we must walk it together. We must rededicate ourselves to an enduring partnership with the Haitian people to help a suffering land rebuild and renew itself, strengthening Haiti’s institutions and increasing its capacity so it can bind up the wounds of the past and build a better, more secure and more prosperous future for its people. I would like to touch on four main topics today: elections, security, the humanitarian situation and reconstruction. First, with regard to elections, the United States welcomes the report of the Organization of American States (OAS) verification mission. Its findings offer a way forward towards improving credibility and public confidence in the presidential electoral process in Haiti. We urge the Provisional Electoral Council to implement the OAS report’s recommendations. Sustained support from the international community, including the United States, requires a credible process that represents the will of the Haitian people, as expressed by their votes. The United States strongly supports the Secretary- General’s statement of 8 December, which expressed the United Nations commitment to free and fair elections that reflect the will of the Haitian people. We urge the Haitian authorities to outline a very clear way forward that will lead promptly to the inauguration of a legitimate and democratically elected Government. This must include issuing a timely and public electoral calendar. It must include announcing first-round results and conducting second-round elections in a manner consistent with the recommendations and findings of the OAS technical review. And it must include enacting measures that will increase public confidence in future electoral processes. Let me also say a few words about the return this week of former President Jean-Claude Duvalier. Given the continuing turmoil surrounding the November 2010 election, the United States is concerned about the unpredictable impact that Duvalier’s return may have on Haiti’s political situation. My Government is clear about Duvalier’s notorious record of human rights abuses and corruption. The situation on the ground is obviously fluid, but the Government of Haiti seems to be taking initial steps to hold Duvalier accountable for his actions during his time ruling Haiti. Secondly, let me turn to security. My Government again thanks the dedicated men and women of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) for their invaluable work in helping the Haitian National Police uphold the rule of law and in promoting overall security and stability in Haiti. We ask that MINUSTAH continue to work to provide a secure environment throughout this period of uncertainty, even as it supports a credible elections process. Haiti cannot have hope if it does not have security. Without security, Haiti will be hamstrung in its attempts to tackle many of its most critical challenges, including rebuilding areas devastated by the earthquake and saving lives at risk in the cholera outbreak. During these challenging and uncertain days, we call on all actors to proceed in a calm and peaceful manner and to understand that violence and unrest can only thwart the will of the Haitian people, not express it. Thirdly, let me say a few words about the humanitarian situation. A credible, peaceful and timely transfer of power is essential to Haiti’s response to the cholera crisis. Unfortunately, cholera will be present in Haiti for years to come. Working with Haitian partners, the international community must continue to address short-term needs while working to lessen the disease’s long-term impact. The United States welcomes the coordination and leadership role played throughout the crisis by Haiti’s Ministry of Public Health and Population. The United States will continue to work with the Ministry and with the United Nations, non-governmental organization partners and other donors in the multilateral relief effort to help fill programmatic and funding gaps in the Government of Haiti’s anti-cholera strategy. We encourage other donors and partners to do the same. We continue to see encouraging signs that Haitians are heeding the Ministry of Public Health and Population’s messages about chlorinating water and other hygiene procedures. But these gains in hygiene, as we have just heard, could easily vanish without sustained efforts. Through the United States Agency for International Development and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we support these efforts to get the word out to all Haitians. Finally, let me turn to reconstruction and recovery. Lasting security in Haiti will not be achieved by police and troops alone. It will also take jobs and economic opportunity. The prospects for rebuilding Haiti depend upon maintaining a secure environment and creating jobs for Haitians. Many of the countries represented here today pledged assistance to Haiti during the March 2010 donors’ conference. We must all remain committed to Haiti’s recovery, deliver on those pledges and work in a coordinated and strategic fashion through the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission. Haiti’s supporters have shown unprecedented bilateral and multilateral cooperation, yet we must all deepen our commitment to progress and sustainable development in Haiti, led by its people. The United States has so far spent $332 million of our $1.15 billion recovery pledge over two years. These disbursements of our pledged funds come in addition to the more than $1 billion the United States has already provided in post-earthquake humanitarian funds, the more than $400 million we have reprogrammed to help support the recovery, and the more than $40 million we have spent on the cholera response. The collective commitment that we have made to Haiti’s recovery must be sustained. For our part, United States spending against our pledge will continue to ramp up, not scale back. Despite these enormous challenges, progress has been made since the earthquake struck. The recovery effort will take years. It will take partnership. It will take commitment. But Haiti’s Government and its strong and resilient people had been making impressive progress towards greater stability and greater prosperity before calamity struck. We are determined to work together with them and with the international community over the long term to restore hope in the years to come.

I thank Under-Secretaries- General Alan Le Roy and Valerie Amos for their comprehensive briefings today. One year after the earthquake and its devastating toll, compounded by the tragic loss of lives to the cholera epidemic, the situation in Haiti continues to be extremely difficult. We are closely following the latest developments in Haiti, in particular those related to the political process and the humanitarian situation. The current political crisis demands a solution that is both legally sound and politically viable, the ultimate goal being the consolidation of democracy, stability and institutions in Haiti. To this end, it is crucial that the electoral process be allowed to run its course in a transparent and effective manner, with full respect for the pertinent legislation. Equally important, it is up to Haiti itself and its leaders to ensure that the will of the people expressed in the polls is fully respected. It is also incumbent on them to help maintain calm, including by refraining from all acts of provocation or violence, regardless of political developments. It is the collective responsibility of all Haitian political actors to preserve the stability achieved in recent years. The international community has supported Haiti in all these areas and, Brazil believes, is ready to continue to do so. In this regard, we commend the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), the Organization of American States (OAS) and bilateral and multilateral partners for their invaluable contribution, especially at the current stage of the electoral process. The OAS has been particularly active in its efforts to assist the Haitians throughout the electoral process and, at this moment, with the verification stage. We are confident that the report prepared by its verification mission, which has now been officially submitted to the Provisional Electoral Council, will prove useful in its deliberations regarding the future of the electoral process. The role of MINUSTAH will also remain critical. We commend the Mission’s support for the electoral process and its continued engagement with the authorities, particularly the Haitian National Police, to ensure a stable environment in the difficult circumstances that followed the announcement of the preliminary results of the first round. We are confident that the Mission will continue to play its part. Electing a new President and installing a new Parliament are important, not only to democracy in Haiti, but also to the reconstruction of the country. Recovery is under way, and we commend partners, donors and the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission for their commitment to achieving concrete results sooner rather than later. More is needed, however. Disbursements continue to be insufficient and adequate funding for critical activities, such as cash-for-work programmes, is lacking. Partners will have to step up their support if we are to achieve the Commission’s strategic targets in key areas in 2011. Humanitarian assistance also remains a priority while efforts continue to effectively address the political crisis. Regarding the cholera epidemic, Brazil has contributed $2 million to the Pan American Health Organization to enable the procurement of medical supplies and equipment. We have also shipped nearly 2.5 tons of medical and non-medical supplies and sent medical teams to help provide treatment to people affected by cholera and training to local staff. We welcome the Secretary-General’s decision to set up an independent panel of experts to look into the cholera outbreak in Haiti. Transparency in all contexts is key to the ability of the United Nations to address security and humanitarian concerns. We are pleased to note the significant decrease in the population living in camps. That is a positive fact, but one that renders cooperation with Haitian authorities even more urgent in order to overcome existing obstacles to the safe and dignified return of internally displaced persons. It is crucial that the needs of the displaced and the returnees with regard to food, water, sanitation, housing, protection and health be met. In all these areas — elections, recovery, security and humanitarian assistance — the importance of national ownership can hardly be overemphasized. Haiti’s future prosperity and peace depend on the strengthening of the national State and national institutions. In all our collective and individual efforts, this imperative must guide our action.

I thank Alain Le Roy, Valerie Amos and the chargé d’affaires of Haiti for their statements. Since the earthquake in January 2010, Haiti has been shaken by other trials — Hurricane Tomas and the cholera epidemic. This series of disasters explains why there is still a need for urgent humanitarian aid. We are therefore keenly aware of the importance of coordination, especially given the exceptionally high number of agencies and non-governmental organizations at work in Haiti. Against this backdrop, the role of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is crucial to ensuring aid effectiveness. However, unless Haiti has strong and stable institutions, all these efforts will be in vain. By agreement with the Haitian Government, the Organization of American States sent a mission to evaluate the results of the first round. It exposed numerous acts of fraud and, as expected, has produced a series of recommendations. France calls on the Haitian authorities to stand by their commitments to the international community and to take action on the recommendations. The country cannot be allowed to remain mired in paralysis or to sink back into violence. The will of the people must be respected, and new authorities must quickly take control of the country’s future, with the support of the international community. In this difficult situation, I would like to commend the unwavering commitment of the staff of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti, starting with Special Representative of the Secretary-General Edmond Mulet. France continues to lend its support, both through the United Nations and bilaterally. Thanks to French support, the main hospital in Port-au-Prince has been able to keep its doors open. It will be rebuilt through a French-American partnership with the Haitian Ministry of Health and Population. We have expanded our technical cooperation in various areas, particularly education, governance and policing. Looking to the future, our educational institutions have been training almost 500 Haitian students as future magistrates or officials. We have allocated financial aid amounting to €326 million for 2010-2011. France will maintain its commitment to the people and Government of Haiti, in coordination with the United Nations. We hope that, for their part, the Haitian authorities will take the decisions necessary to offer their country and their people a better future.

Like other speakers, I would like first to renew our condolences to the people and Government of Haiti and to the United Nations for the losses they suffered during the devastating earthquake 12 months ago. Many thanks, too, are due to Under-Secretaries-General Le Roy and Amos and to the representative of Haiti for their briefings today. Our continued gratitude also goes to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Mulet, and the personnel of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) for their dedicated work there. Events of recent weeks have shown again their crucial role in maintaining a secure environment. The United Kingdom continues to give its full support to MINUSTAH and looks forward to its continuing efforts to help build the capacity of the Haitian authorities and people. It is important for Haiti’s long-term security that the people themselves, not United Nations peacekeepers, take the lead in reconstruction efforts, with the support of the international community. The people of Haiti, along with the international community working in their support, have faced many challenges over the past 12 months, as previous speakers have said: the impact of Hurricane Tomas; the ongoing cholera epidemic, which has affected almost 200,000 Haitians; concerns about secure shelter for those displaced by the earthquake; and a safe environment for those living in camps. Some progress has been made. It is good that the number of Haitians living in camps has halved. Effective public education campaigns have contributed to a decline in the cholera fatality rate. The Office of the United Nations Special Envoy for Haiti has reported that 64 per cent of funds pledged last March have been disbursed. However, the challenges remain immense, and the international community must remain committed to supporting Haiti. The United Kingdom has played its part in the humanitarian effort, with more than a million people benefiting from British help. We have targeted our aid to providing people with food, shelter, clean water and medical care, and we have now supplied medical staff to run cholera treatment centres. Turning to recent events, we welcome the Haitian Government’s invitation to the Organization of American States (OAS) to conduct an inquiry into the first round of the presidential elections. We now look to the Haitian authorities to act on the recommendations of the OAS report in order to allow the process to move forward with credibility. We urge all presidential candidates to share the collective responsibility for maintaining a peaceful environment in order to ensure conditions conducive to holding the second round. It is vital that the new Haitian Government be seen to have been elected democratically and legitimately in order to allow it to lead the reconstruction process in the name of its people. Free, fair and transparent elections are the only way to achieve this. The way forward for Haiti will not be easy, but it will be tackled with the support of the international community, MINUSTAH, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the other United Nations agencies. We hope that Haiti’s progress towards a stable environment will not be lost, and we will continue to give our full support to its people.

I would like to thank Mr. Alain Le Roy and Ms. Valerie Amos for their briefings on recent developments in Haiti. I also welcome the representative of Haiti. Colombia and Haiti share not only maritime borders and a historic past, but also a deep concern for the welfare of Haiti’s people. Our country has expressed and reiterated, on many occasions and at the highest level, its desire to be involved in and support humanitarian efforts and reconstruction in Haiti. On 24 September in the General Assembly, President Juan Manuel Santos Calderón of Colombia called on the Council to “consider transforming the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti into a true development operation” (A/65/PV.15, p. 5) for the nation. Today, we reaffirm that conviction, because it is clear that Haiti is in need of sound institutions, a stronger democracy and infrastructure for development. To achieve that, it needs foreign investment to generate employment and create wealth. All of this must be undertaken with respect for the principles of non-interference in Haiti’s internal affairs, its independence, national sovereignty, cultural identity and diversity in order to put it on the road to development and reconstruction. Colombia, like many countries, has joined in providing humanitarian aid to Haiti, but we feel no need to go into details in that respect. We are certain, however, that all the cooperation given so far is not enough to meet the needs of a people to whom the world owes a historical debt that must be repaid. In the anguish, pain and sadness we see on Haitians’ faces, we see not only hope but also the opportunity to become better human beings, to ennoble the meaning of the word “life” and, above all, to join with them in solidarity from the bottom of our hearts, with no expectation of reward other than answering the call of our consciences. We know that with its mandate for maintaining security, facilitating the creation of a stable Government, disarming, demobilizing and reintegrating all armed groups, and helping to reform the police and justice systems, the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) still has major challenges ahead. It is time to focus the scope of the tasks that the Security Council has assigned it, so that, together with the Organization of American States and other regional organizations, we can achieve the rapid stabilization and reconstruction in Haiti. We share Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s concerns about Haiti, in particular on the need to complete the election process successfully. In our view, the completion of the second round of elections is a critical element of Haiti’s recovery, reconstruction and development. We must focus all our efforts on this end and support the Haitian Government, its authorities and the Organization of American States. MINUSTAH’s mandates include fostering the principles of democratic governance and institutional development. To that end, the consolidation of the electoral system, the strengthening of justice and the establishment of a legislature that responds to the needs of its people are critical priorities. Colombia supports the call on MINUSTAH to continue supporting projects that contribute to a climate of trust. International financial institutions and donors worldwide have a central role in the future of Haiti. Development and welfare must go hand in hand with social awareness on the part of those institutions, so that the dividends are accompanied by progress, security and peace. Finally, we are fully convinced that all action for Haiti’s recovery and strengthening of Haiti, through sectoral and coordinated planning that allows the participation of all Haitian political and social actors in the process of national reconstruction, is an indispensable prerequisite. Likewise, we call on the countries and organizations that made offers of cooperation to ensure the prompt realization of such assistance so that efforts under way are not in vain.

At the outset, I would like to extend my thanks to Mr. Alain Le Roy and Ms. Valerie Amos for their briefings on the recent political and humanitarian developments in Haiti. On this first anniversary of the earthquake, we would like to reiterate our condolences to the Government and people of Haiti and to the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti. My delegation views with great concern the repercussions that took place following the announcement of the results of the presidential elections on 7 December 2010. We would like to stress that any observations or objections with regard to the election results must be addressed by the constitutional institutions and in accordance with due process, without any recourse to violence. We would also like to appeal to political parties to take into account the contents of the report prepared by the mission of the Organization of American States. In that context, we would like to stress the need to conduct the second round of the presidential elections in full respect for the standards of fairness and transparency and in such a way as to promote democracy and make it possible to continue the constitutional reforms and reconstruction efforts. We also call on all political groups to remain calm at this critical juncture in Haiti’s history. We reiterate that the elections must reflect the true will of the people of Haiti. We would also like to express our concern about the continuing spread of the cholera epidemic. We call on the international community to provide immediate assistance to control the epidemic. As the Secretary- General said, “Without a massive and immediate international response, we will not be able to overcome this crisis. The lives of hundreds of thousands of people are at risk.” In that regard, my delegation welcomes the Secretary-General’s establishment of a panel of experts to determine the cause of the epidemic. Finally, we would like to stress that every possible effort must be made to promote the work of Haiti’s judicial institutions in order to prevent impunity and ensure the proper functioning of the courts, prisons and police, in full respect for human rights laws and rules. We would also like to emphasize the need to respect the will of the people of Haiti in determining its future and building its national institutions. Finally, we call on donors to fulfil the pledges made at the donor conference without delay, since development and reconstruction pave the way for security and stability.

Like others, I too wish to thank Under-Secretaries-General Alain Le Roy and Valerie Amos for their reports and the very relevant information that they provided the Council today. I also wish to thank our colleague from Haiti for his statement. One year after the earthquake, our thoughts of course go to the hundreds of thousands of Haitians who perished and to the civilian and military men and women of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) who lost their lives. We should also be grateful to the United Nations staff on the ground who, disregarding their own safety, worked to save lives in the following hours and days. It is obvious that humanitarian relief will continue to be the main priority as long as the basic needs of the Haitian population — be it access to water, food, shelter, sanitation or health care — are not ensured. Hurricane Tomas and cholera have compounded the situation. Millions still depend on humanitarian aid on a daily basis, even if, encouragingly, some progress has been made, such as the decrease in the number of internally displaced persons, the reduction of the mortality rate and the stabilization of the cholera outbreak. However, much more needs to be done, and the international community can do more, namely, at the structural level. The transparency and credibility of the electoral process that will lead to the installation of a democratic Administration are paramount. The paralysis that we have seen during the past two months needs to be quickly overcome. We commend the work carried out by the Organization of the American States (OAS) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and its expert mission on the presidential election of last November. We hope that their findings will help to restore credibility and the confidence of the Haitian people in their political system. In that sense, a free, fair and transparent second round of the presidential election is essential. To pursue that objective, effective international observation of those elections is crucial, minimizing the potential for irregularities and providing meaningful support for that process. We thank the OAS and CARICOM for their valuable cooperation in the next decisive phase of that process. MINUSTAH can also play an important role, not only by providing logistical support and ensuring safety throughout the process, but also by promoting political dialogue. The earthquake brought Haiti’s woes to us under a sharper light. Social and economic conditions in Haiti were already very difficult prior to it. Respect for human rights, the rule of law and the democratic process were not entrenched. What we are currently addressing is not only the turmoil created by the cataclysm, but also the structural deficiencies and imbalances that have existed for many years. That aspect must be taken into account in designing our response to political and social developments in the country. The hard road to recovery and sustainable development requires stability, democratically legitimized authorities and political leadership. We must recognize that those conditions have never been fully met. We are concerned about new elements that may further increase the present instability in the country, such as the return of Mr. Duvalier, even if he is brought to justice. Ensuring security in all its dimensions is an essential requirement for the full recovery of Haiti. It must be felt in urban and rural communities all over the country. Furthermore, it is a prerequisite for efficient distribution of aid. MINUSTAH’s efforts in that area are highly laudable, and we are well aware of the immense challenges that it faces on a daily basis. Regarding relief and recovery, Portugal stresses the need to reinforce coordination among MINUSTAH, United Nations agencies and programmes, national and international non-governmental organizations and the various donors. The ability to absorb the necessary resources for reconstruction is a vital issue for Haiti and for international donors. Our efforts in capacity- building should aim at solving the present situation. Finally, Portugal joins others in expressing concern over the fragile and unstable situation in Haiti and the continued plight of the population. While giving our full support to MINUSTAH in fulfilling its mandate, we also stress the importance of calling upon the parties to abide by democratic rules, the Constitution and the laws of Haiti and to allow MINUSTAH and humanitarian workers full and unhindered access to all people in need.

We are grateful to Under-Secretaries-General Le Roy and Amos for their informative briefings on developments in Haiti. We also listened with interest to the statement by Mr. Cazeau, Haiti’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations. The situation in Haiti remains difficult. The devastating earthquake was followed by an outbreak of cholera and the political crisis that erupted following the holding of the presidential and parliamentary elections. The international community is providing humanitarian assistance of unprecedented scale and solidarity to the community of Port-au-Prince. The Russian Federation has disbursed $8 million for the reconstruction of Haiti through the intermediary of various international organizations, first and foremost the United Nations system. At the same time, not all donor pledges have actually reached Haiti. We share the Secretary-General’s concern regarding the fact that Haiti’s reconstruction is progressing very slowly. Over 1 million Haitians are still housed in tent camps. The main responsibility for the reconstruction of Haiti is borne by the people of that country. The Haitian Government must play a leading role in coordinating humanitarian and reconstruction activity. To resolve the problems facing Haiti, Port-au-Prince must be helped above all in strengthening the structures of State authority, thus enabling Haitians to resolve the issues of reconstruction and national development themselves. The parliamentary and presidential elections held on 28 November 2010 were a serious challenge to Haiti. This new elections-related area of tension must be prevented from complicating international reconstruction efforts in the country. We urge all political forces in Haiti to demonstrate calm and restraint and to resolve contentious issues exclusively through legal mechanisms. We welcome the efforts of the Organization of American States and the United Nations to resolve the situation. We believe that the Haitian Government, which bears the primary responsibility for the situation in the country, will take all necessary steps to successfully complete the elections process in line with its domestic legislation and democratic standards, with the assistance of the international community, including regional organizations. We express our support for the activities of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti. We are grateful to the Mission leader and staff for their work in trying conditions. We welcome the comprehensive support being provided to Haiti by regional States. We note the efforts of the United Nations Special Envoy for Haiti, Bill Clinton, aimed at mobilizing donor support for the country. Given the scale of the problems afflicting Haiti, the international community must continue its comprehensive support to the Government of that country in order to fully restore Haiti’s national potential.

Allow me in turn to thank Under-Secretaries- General Mr. Le Roy and Ms. Amos, as well as the representative of Haiti, for their briefings. My delegation remains concerned by the fact that, two and a half months after the announcement of the results of the first round of the presidential election, the second round has not yet taken place. The Government of Haiti, despite its efforts, is not yet in a position to conclude the review of disputed issues by the relevant Haitian entities. We pay tribute to the Organization of American States (OAS) for its assessment report on the electoral process, and hope that the Provisional Electoral Council, in line with the agreement reached between the Government and the OAS, will professionally, transparently and impartially consider the recommendations contained in the report and bring the electoral process to its conclusion. We urge the political class in Haiti, for its part, to accept in good faith the results of that review. We hope for a successful conclusion to the electoral process in order to ensure that Haiti has a Government that will be in a position to tackle — with the support of the international community, of course — the various hardships afflicting the country, including the lack of security. With respect to the lack of security in particular, we are alarmed by the reports of recent acts of sexual violence. We are, however, encouraged by the efforts of the Haitian Government to rebuild the judiciary and train security forces, with the assistance of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). The recovery and reconstruction of Haiti require national mobilization, which has largely taken place. It also requires coordinated efforts and a rational use of the assistance provided. We are convinced that this will all take place and that the assistance promised by the various donors will indeed be disbursed. We also welcome the progress achieved in the delivery of humanitarian assistance since the terrible earthquake of January 2010 and the outbreak of the cholera epidemic. In conclusion, Gabon will continue to support the efforts of MINUSTAH in Haiti to rebuild and reconstruct the country.

One year after the devastating earthquake in Haiti, our thoughts are with the victims and their families. We recall the extraordinary sacrifice made by the personnel of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). I would also like to thank Under-Secretary- General Valerie Amos and Under-Secretary-General Alain Le Roy and their teams, as well as the countries contributing to MINUSTAH for their great commitment to tackling the multitude of challenges we are facing in Haiti. We are grateful for today’s comprehensive briefings and analysis of the situation in Haiti, which continues to be complex and challenging. I also thank Mr. Cazeau for his remarks. Haiti has suffered beyond imagination. Please allow me to share some of our views, mainly on two aspects: the humanitarian tragedy and the international efforts to assist the people of Haiti; and ways to overcome the current political crisis. First, we are grateful to all the aid workers from the United Nations and hundreds of non-governmental organizations in Haiti for their tireless efforts in very difficult circumstances. They did not falter when faced with the magnitude of the catastrophe. We acknowledge the important role and contribution of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and appreciate the efforts undertaken to date. OCHA is working in a very complex and difficult environment, with hundreds of non-governmental organizations working in the field. We would like to encourage OCHA to continue its efforts with a view to further improving coordination among all the stakeholders involved. We also recall that millions of private donors demonstrated their solidarity with the hard-hit people of Haiti in a truly unprecedented manner. These donors expect our best efforts to ensure that their aid reaches the people in need. In 2011, the focus of international assistance will continue to shift from humanitarian towards reconstruction efforts. We commend the constructive work of the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission. Germany, like others, has contributed substantially from the outset to the relief and reconstruction efforts conducted by the United Nations and other humanitarian organizations. Let me mention a point of concern to us — the protection of people from sexual violence, in particular girls and women living in camps. We welcome ongoing efforts to address this situation. We should not forget the central role of the people of Haiti in rebuilding their country. The strength, the determination and the spirit of millions of Haitians command our respect. Let me turn to the second key aspect. If the ongoing recovery, reconstruction and development are to succeed, political stability is indispensable. The current political crisis surrounding the first round of the presidential elections is a cause of serious concern to us. The Council has consistently underlined the immense importance of free and fair elections in Haiti to laying the political foundations on which to rebuild the country. We welcome the continued efforts of Special Representative of the Secretary-General Mulet and Under-Secretary-General Le Roy to engage the political leadership in Haiti in a dialogue aimed at enhancing political stability and national unity. The decision of the Government of Haiti to call upon the Organization of American States (OAS) to send an expert verification mission for the first round of the presidential elections was a good one. We fully support the recommendations of the OAS expert verification mission contained in its report. We commend the Provisional Electoral Council for having provided access to information for the OAS mission. We now urge the Provisional Electoral Council to take the logical second step and base its decisions on the OAS recommendations regarding the second round of the presidential elections. Credible elections are crucial for political stability and ongoing reconstruction efforts in Haiti. Germany joins the call on all political leaders in Haiti to assume their responsibilities and work together in order to bring the electoral process to a successful conclusion. In conclusion, Germany remains committed to supporting Haiti’s critical needs. Together, we can make 2011 a better year for Haiti.

My delegation wishes to express its appreciation to Under-Secretaries- General Le Roy and Amos for their informative briefings to the Security Council on the situation in Haiti. We also thank our Haitian colleague for his briefing. Last week we in the United Nations family joined with the people of Haiti when we commemorated the one year anniversary of the devastating earthquake that claimed the lives of nearly a quarter of a million people and displaced over 1 million more. It was also a day that saw the biggest single-day loss of life among the men and women who serve the Organization through the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti. South Africa again expresses its deepest condolences and sympathy to all who were affected by that devastating event. Human suffering was further exacerbated in the aftermath of the earthquake by the effects of hurricane Tomas and the outbreak of the deadly cholera epidemic, further compounding the humanitarian challenges in Haiti. Our delegation remains concerned about the political and humanitarian situation in Haiti. In that regard, we reiterate our commitment to the ongoing recovery and reconstruction efforts in the country. We concur with the assessment that Haiti’s recovery will require a multi-year effort, and therefore that the acceleration of recovery efforts for Haiti must be an absolute priority for 2011. We are concerned about the slow pace of recovery. We call on the international community to redouble its efforts in supporting the Government of Haiti in leading the recovery. In that regard, we have noted the call in resolution 1944 (2010), adopted by the Council in October, for the international community to coordinate its efforts with the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission. It is also essential that the Government lead all recovery efforts and that those efforts be closely coordinated so as to ensure that they are efficient and transparent and meet the needs of the most vulnerable. The cholera epidemic undermines the recovery efforts further. We have taken note of the improved manner in which the epidemic has been addressed and of the decline in the mortality rate. But more needs to be done. We are especially concerned about the impact of the epidemic on the most vulnerable. We welcome the appointment by the Secretary-General of a panel of experts on the cholera outbreak. South Africa, individually and as a partner in the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) trilateral mechanism, will continue to contribute to the recovery efforts and to the sustainable development of the country. We have already provided humanitarian aid through the United Nations humanitarian system, facilitated by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. We are committed to allocating more support in the near future. We call on all Member States that made pledges during the Haiti pledging conference to fulfil their commitments. We have noted with serious concern the stalemate in Haiti over the elections held on 28 November 2010. The current impasse will only further worsen the already fragile political, socio-economic and Government systems in Haiti. Credible elections are essential for stability in Haiti, which in turn will contribute to the recovery process and the achievement of development. We are also concerned about the recurrent violence. We call on all parties to be cautious in their actions, so as to avoid plunging the country into further turmoil. We have taken note of the report of the expert verification mission of the Organization of American States, including its conclusions and recommendations. We have also taken note of the communiqué issued by the Provisional Electoral Council of Haiti on 19 January 2011 on the report. We note as well that the appeals process is still under way. It is crucial that the current situation be resolved within the established legal process and in a manner that will accurately reflect the will of the Haitian people. Members of the international community have a responsibility to stand by the people of Haiti, whether bilaterally or through the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations. All efforts should provide the Government and the people of Haiti with the requisite support. In that regard, we express our support and appreciation to the Organization of American States and the Caribbean Community for their commitment to Haiti. We also commend all the bilateral efforts of many countries in addressing the multiple needs of the country. Moreover, the Security Council’s continued engagement and focus on Haiti is very important at this critical stage. It is essential that the Council continue to support the electoral process in Haiti by demanding that all the parties — individual candidates as well as the population of Haiti — refrain from violence and address the current situation through the legal processes provided for by the Constitution and the electoral law. In addressing all these pressing needs my delegation stands ready to work with partners in the Council to ensure that we remain seized on the matter and serve the interests of the Haitians.

I join other colleagues in thanking Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Alain Le Roy and Under- Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos for their comprehensive and useful briefings on the situation in Haiti. I would also like to thank the representative of Haiti for sharing his perspective on the state of play there. It has been a very difficult year for the people of Haiti. Just as stability was beginning to be witnessed in the country and the indicators of economic development were showing an upward trend, the country was struck by a massive earthquake on 12 January 2010. The disaster took the lives of nearly 300,000 persons and injured an equal number. An earthquake of such devastation — the worst in the region in more than 200 years — demanded relief operations of a huge magnitude. The international community rose to the occasion and undertook the challenge to help the people of Haiti. Our work continues, and should continue as long as the Haitian people require our assistance in their efforts at reconstruction. Last week, the Council issued a press statement on the anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti. We wish to convey our sincere sympathies to the people and Government of Haiti and to the families of the United Nations personnel who lost their lives. We assure them of our continued support. In the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, India made a cash contribution of $5 million to the Government of Haiti towards relief measures, as a token of our solidarity with the people of Haiti. I would also like to recall that the Central Emergency Response Fund was put to good use in the earliest stages of recovery work in Haiti. India attaches importance to that facility, to which we have made significant contributions since its inception and to which we have contributed $500,000 each year over the three-year period since 2009. Furthermore, recognizing the need to provide basic amenities — shelter, drinking water and sanitation — to the Haitian people, we have joined Brazil and South Africa in expanding the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Trust Fund’s waste management project in Haiti, in both its area of coverage and its scope in handling different types of waste. IBSA is spending over $2 million in that effort and for the reconstruction of a community health centre in Haiti. As we progress towards reconstruction and rehabilitation in Haiti, we think there is an urgent need for better coordination among aid agencies, donors and the Government of Haiti. This would not only avoid duplication but also direct aid to sectors considered most necessary by Haiti. The various United Nations agencies have to work hard on improving Haiti’s technical capacity to fully and properly utilize assistance. For our part, India has pledged to reconstruct one of the Government ministries, to be identified by the Government of Haiti. In that context, I must share with the Council that, in spite of several efforts that I personally made, it is perhaps the lack of coordination that is making it very difficult for us even to identify where our offer could be best utilized. We highly commend and support the role played by the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) in humanitarian and recovery efforts in the aid of the local authorities. We are proud of their sterling efforts, both on the civilian and police sides, in the immediate aftermath of the disastrous earthquake, in spite of the tremendous losses that the Mission itself faced. I also recall the contributions made by the Indian police officers deployed with MINUSTAH, which presently number 470 in three contingents, two of which were deployed by India after the earthquake at the request of the United Nations. MINUSTAH peacekeepers continue to provide full support to the local authorities. We therefore urge all stakeholders that any action that impedes the work of MINUSTAH peacekeepers should be avoided. Even as Haiti battled to overcome the disaster caused by the earthquake, it was struck by an outbreak of cholera, which further aggravated the already grim situation. In the midst of all that, the country has become embroiled in a political crisis following the presidential elections. As far as the cholera epidemic is concerned, we hope that the recent appointment by the Secretary-General of an independent panel of experts to determine the source of the epidemic will submit its report based on scientific studies and that this will adequately address the allegations that have been made. I am sure that Doctor Balakrish Nair, Director of the National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases in Kolkata, who is a member of the panel, will make a valuable contribution to the panel’s work. We think that concerted reconstruction and rehabilitation work demands stable political and administrative conditions. We therefore call upon all political actors in Haiti to exercise restraint and avoid actions that cause violence and distract focus from the urgently needed reconstruction and rehabilitation work. The focus of the United Nations should of course remain on humanitarian and infrastructure work. It should not get too deeply involved in the domestic political process, which is better handled by regional organizations in cooperation with the local political establishment.

Let me join others who have spoken before me in thanking Mr. Alain Le Roy and Ms. Valerie Amos for their very useful briefings. We are pleased that our meeting today to mark the first anniversary of the devastating earthquake in Haiti on 12 January 2010 has not ignored the overall challenges that still exist in the country, which have been made worse by the outbreak of the cholera epidemic. The earthquake and the epidemic have resulted in the deaths of more than 203,000 people, including United Nations personnel, and has rolled back many years of development gains achieved in the areas of infrastructure, health, shelter and education in Haiti, the poorest and least developed country in the western hemisphere, as Ms. Amos reminded us this morning. I would like to convey Nigeria’s gratitude to all those who responded positively and stood shoulder to shoulder with the Government and people of Haiti in their darkest hour of need. The generosity of the international community in providing assistance for relief, recovery and reconstruction in the aftermath of the tragedy has no doubt made a tremendous difference in Haiti. Nigeria was among the many contributors that provided assistance in cash and in kind. Our assistance to Haiti in the past year exceeded $10 million, including cash and relief materials. I should note also that, under a bilateral agreement, Nigerian Technical Aid Corps volunteers had been providing assistance in Haiti in diverse fields for several years prior to the earthquake. The role of the United Nations — in particular that of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) — in leading the international efforts in Haiti is most commendable. Nigeria is pleased that its police contingent is part of MINUSTAH, which has continued to carry out its mandate with distinction under very trying circumstances. May I therefore salute the courage, dedication and sacrifice of the gallant men and women of MINUSTAH, led by Mr. Edmond Mulet, as well as of all humanitarian workers in Haiti. Much remains to be done to restore Haiti to its pre-earthquake state. As we have been reminded, 800,000 Haitians still live in makeshift camps. Other challenges include malnutrition, poor sanitation and weak health systems and basic services. In the face of those challenges, the international community must not take its focus from Haiti. We must continue in our bilateral and multilateral efforts to assist Haiti to grow better and faster from the devastating effects of the earthquake and the cholera epidemic. It is our hope that donors will not only fulfil outstanding pledges but also respond favourably to OCHA’s 2011 consolidated appeal for $906 million to address the humanitarian needs in Haiti. We urge the United Nations to continue to enhance its coordination efforts with other humanitarian actors. The political uncertainty in Haiti is a matter of serious concern. We recognize the important role and contribution that the Organization of American States (OAS) can make in helping to resolve the ongoing electoral crisis in Haiti. We encourage the Provisional Electoral Commission to take into account the report submitted by the OAS verification mission in determining the candidates for the run-off election. In that connection, we call on the Provisional Electoral Council and all of Haiti’s political leaders to fully respect the will of the people and refrain from any action that will derail or undermine Haiti’s march towards democracy and legitimate governance. There is an urgent need for a date and candidates to be announced for the run-off elections. The longer it takes to resolve the political crisis, the longer Haiti will remain mired in its myriad problems. Nigeria hopes that Haiti’s leaders, past and present, will see the need to put the interests of their people above personal and partisan interests in order to move their country forward, with the international community providing continuous support and encouragement.

I would like to thank Under-Secretaries-General Le Roy and Amos for the briefings they have given us. I also wish to thank the representative of Haiti for the statement he has made. The earthquake of 12 January 2010 produced unprecedented devastation in Haiti. The United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) also suffered heavy losses. Eight Chinese peacekeeping police officers were killed. China would again like to extend its deep condolences to the families of the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. We hope that, with the support of the international community, the people of Haiti will come together and rebuild their homes at an early date. The current situation in Haiti is serious and fragile. The process of consolidating security and achieving sustainable peace and stability faces many challenges. We believe that the United Nations and the international community should focus in the short term on providing support and assistance in the following three aspects. First, they should promote an appropriate solution to Haiti’s presidential election crisis. Holding free, fair and credible elections in Haiti will be of great significance to lasting peace and stability and post- disaster reconstruction in the country. We call on all sides in Haiti to focus on the peace and stability of the country and the well-being of the people; uphold unity, renounce violence, avoid provocations; resolve disputes through consultations within the framework of Haiti’s Constitution and laws; and ensure that the elections truly reflect the will of the Haitian people. We appreciate the active role played by the Organization of American States in this regard. Secondly, support to Haiti’s post-disaster reconstruction efforts should be stepped up. Rebuilding Haiti will take years of hard work, there will be many challenges, and the long-term support and assistance of the international community will be needed. We call on all relevant actors to provide the assistance they committed to Haiti as soon as possible. United Nations agencies, international financial instructions and regional organizations should further enhance coordination, clarify the division of labour, improve aid effectiveness, and avoid duplication and the wasting of resources. We support the United Nations in playing a more effective coordinating role in the process of Haiti’s post-disaster reconstruction. Thirdly, we must help Haiti to deal with the cholera epidemic, which has brought further suffering to its people. The international community should continue to provide assistance to Haiti in preventing and controlling the cholera epidemic so as to prevent any further spread. MINUSTAH has played an important role in maintaining security and stability in Haiti. We appreciate the contributions made by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and MINUSTAH under difficult conditions. In the current situation, MINUSTAH should concentrate on helping Haiti maintain security and stability, promote the political process and support Haiti’s capacity-building in the security and judicial sectors. We also hope that the United Nations will enhance its comprehensive evaluation of the situation in Haiti, improve its security, early warning and crisis management capacities, and effectively respond to various security threats and challenges.

I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina. I thank Under-Secretaries-General Ms. Valerie Amos and Mr. Alain Le Roy for their informative briefings. We welcome the participation of the Deputy Permanent Representative of Haiti. Last year was one of the harshest in recent Haitian history. Nature showed no mercy to the country, as one disaster followed another. A devastating earthquake, hurricane and cholera outbreak took their toll and left deep scars on that proud nation. This meeting of the Security Council offers the opportunity to send the Haitian people a message of support and encouragement and to assure them that the United Nations and the international community will not let them down. Now, let me address some issues related to the current situation in Haiti. We believe that the Haitian people, with the support of the international community, will be able to bring the electoral process to a successful end. Concluding the electoral process in a peaceful and credible manner is a critical component of Haiti’s ongoing recovery and reconstruction efforts. The establishment of a legitimate Government is a basic precondition for long-term stability and development. At this politically sensitive moment, it is vital that the population and all political actors show maximum restraint in order to avoid any deterioration of the security situation in the country. We call upon the Haitian authorities to ensure a calm and secure environment for the second round of presidential elections. It is imperative that the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) extend its indispensable support to national authorities. We welcome the assistance of the Organization of American States (OAS) in the voting verification process. This should be seen as a significant element in ensuring the credibility of the electoral process. The OAS recommendations should be taken into account by the electoral authorities and Haitian political parties. The new Government in Haiti will not have an easy task before it. Along with reconstruction, the Government will have to address outstanding challenges in the areas of security, the rule of law and institutional reform. Special attention should be given to security sector reform. Enhancing the capacity of the Haitian National Police must be a priority. The international community and MINUSTAH must continue to assist national authorities in that regard. Bosnia and Herzegovina attaches great importance to the social and economic conditions of internally displaced persons in Haiti. It is crucial that the ad hoc Presidential Commission on Resettlement closely monitor and coordinate activities related to the relocation and resettlement of internally displaced persons. All activities related to those delicate issues must be carried out with due sensitivity. We welcome the roles of the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission and the Haiti Reconstruction Fund and their pivotal role in long-term reconstruction. It is essential that donors continue to fulfil their commitments to Haiti and provide the resources necessary for reconstruction and development. International donors must closely coordinate their activities with the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission in order to make international assistance more efficient. We commend former President of the United States William Clinton for his efforts as the United Nations Special Envoy for Haiti to enhance international support to Haiti and to improve cooperation with the Haitian authorities in facilitating and coordinating assistance. During these painful times for Haiti, the United Nations and MINUSTAH have played a critical role. It is important that partnership between the Haitian people and the United Nations be further strengthened to maintain positive developments and meet the remaining challenges. Bosnia and Herzegovina fully supports the efforts of MINUSTAH and its assistance to the national authorities in the protection of civilians, in particular internally displaced persons and other vulnerable groups. We underscore the importance for MINUSTAH to continue to work towards its full deployment as outlined in resolution 1944 (2010). In conclusion, on behalf of Bosnia and Herzegovina, I would like to commend the United Nations and MINUSTAH staff for their tireless efforts and the important work they are carrying out in Haiti. I now resume my functions as President of the Council. I give the floor to Ms. Valerie Amos to make a further statement. Ms. Amos: I want to take this opportunity to thank Member States for the contribution they have made to the overall aid effort in Haiti and for their focus on the importance of coordination. In that respect, we in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs are strengthening our operation in Haiti and our focus on the importance of coordination among the United Nations, its agencies and national authorities, with particular stress on national ownership. Member States have also focused on the importance of stable institutions and overall security to facilitate the aid effort and longer-term development. It is also important to continue paying attention to the protection of people from sexual violence. All of these remain important aspects not only of the humanitarian response but also of the ongoing development efforts.

There are no further speakers inscribed on my list. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.