S/PV.9377 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/2023/519, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by Ecuador 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 2692 (2023). I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements after the voting.

The United States continues to stand with the people of Haiti in their time of need. As Secretary Blinken recently told the Caribbean Community at its plenary session, we are working with our partners to “help Haitian people shape their futures and restore the country’s democratic order”. Today’s reauthorization of the mandate of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) is an important step toward these goals, and the United States was proud to vote for the resolution (resolution 2692 (2023)) and to work closely with our co-penholder, Ecuador, to achieve a consensus text. BINUH continues to be a positive force in Haiti. It continues to support the Haitian National Police and address the gang violence that has plagued the Haitian people. The resolution encourages Member States to provide security support to the Haitian National Police through the deployment of a specialized force, acknowledging Haiti’s repeated calls for help from the international community. The mandate renewal also asks the Secretary-General to submit a written report outlining all the ways in which the United Nations can enhance the security situation in Haiti. That includes the potential for a peacekeeping operation, police training or a non-United Nations multinational force. The United States looks forward to the Secretary- General’s recommendations on how to do that most effectively. We also appreciate that the strengthened mandate seeks to address Haiti’s humanitarian and political challenges. We look forward to BINUH’s engagement with the Government and other stakeholders to tackle the crises, which compound the ongoing security challenges. Let us be clear: our work is far from finished. The adoption of this resolution renewing the mandate is a positive step, but we must do more. The United States will continue to work with BINUH, the Haitian Government and the international community to drive progress forward and help the Haitian people to secure a more just and peaceful future. We urge all Council members and all Member States to join us.

As we speak, Haiti is deeply mired in multiple political, security, development and humanitarian crises, and the situation is continuing to deteriorate. During recent deliberations of the Council, members of Council and the countries in the region have expressed deep concerns regarding the situation in Haiti. All expect the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) to better implement its mandate and the international community and regional commissions to provide increased support and services to Haiti. China shares the concerns and aspirations of all. Thanks to the joint efforts of the members of the Council, including China, the resolution just adopted, resolution 2692 (2023), sends a positive signal that the international community will help Haiti to find a Haitian-owned and -led solution and support BINUH in playing a greater role in improving the situation in Haiti. The fundamental solution to the Haitian crisis lies in advancing the political process. The resolution just adopted by the Council calls on all Haitian parties to engage in inclusive dialogue, reach the broadest possible consensus on political transition arrangements and set a timetable and road map for holding free, fair and credible elections as soon as possible. We call on all parties and factions in Haiti to truly shoulder their responsibilities, pursuant to resolution 2692 (2023), act in the fundamental interests of the country and the people and advance the political process with a sense of urgency. The top priority for resolving the crisis in Haiti is to stabilize the security situation. The massive inflow of weapons and ammunition into Haiti from abroad is an important factor fuelling the rampant gang violence. If it is not stopped, no amount of support to the Haitian police will make any difference. At China’s repeated request and insistence, the resolution just adopted strongly urges all countries to immediately stop supplying arms and ammunition to Haitian gangs and their supporters and to take all measures to curb arms trafficking and smuggling. We call on the members of the Security Council to put that into practice, show political determination and demonstrate political will when considering the extension of resolution 2653 (2022) by taking a legally binding decision thereon. An effective means to resolve the crisis in Haiti lies in the support of the international community. The resolution just adopted calls on the Secretary-General to report on a range of options for United Nations support to Haiti. China supports the Organization in providing more assistance to Haiti and firmly believes that the key to solving the Haitian conundrum is in the hands of the Haitian people themselves. The 30-odd years of United Nations practice in Haiti have shown that quick fixes implemented from the outside often fail to deliver long-term results or help Haiti truly emerge from the crisis. Before taking the next step, the United Nations should fully learn from the past, listen well to the opinions of all parties and fully consider the wishes of the Haitian people.

Brazil hopes that the newly adopted mandate will provide the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) with enhanced financial resources and the necessary means to effectively support Haiti. We commend the tireless efforts of the penholders  — Ecuador and the United States — and the active engagement of the membership, which have led to a balanced and meaningful outcome. Throughout the negotiations, Brazil’s main objective was to mobilize efforts to help Haiti overcome its economic, security and political crisis. We have consistently emphasized the importance of reinforcing BINUH’s security, capacity and resources so as to enable the mission to fulfil its mandate. We commend the results achieved in that regard. Enhancing BINUH’s capacity to support the efforts of national authorities to protect children and to prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence also represent a significant improvement. Additional measures to prevent the illicit trafficking and diversion of small arms, light weapons and ammunition could also serve as a crucial step in curbing the escalation of violence. In the upcoming days and months, the situation in the country needs to remain at the forefront of our minds. The Council should closely monitor the evolving situation on the ground while considering potential new measures. In that regard, we look forward to the Secretary-General’s report outlining the full range of options the United Nations can provide in order to enhance the security situation in Haiti. All possible security assistance should be provided, fully align with the needs and aspirations of the Haitian people and be developed in close collaboration with all relevant actors in the country. The political viability and the long-term effectiveness of such security assistance would depend on the will of key stakeholders in Haiti to set aside differences in order to collectively address the root causes of the many challenges faced by the country, in particular, poverty, inequality and instability. It is only through genuine engagement and the spirit of compromise that Haitian-led solutions can be achieved.

I am grateful for the support received for resolution 2692 (2023), on extending and strengthening the mandate of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), sponsored by Ecuador and the United States. I would also like to acknowledge the valuable and constructive contribution of all Council delegations at a time when Haiti needs it most. We hope that this unanimous adoption will send a clear and strong message to the leaders and members of the gangs that plague Haiti. We call on the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and BINUH to ensure strategic communication in that regard. The resolution urges all relevant actors, including those with the capacity to influence armed groups, to end the blockade on provisions to local markets and the damage to food sources, given Haiti’s acute food insecurity crisis. It promotes humanitarian access and the protection of humanitarian personnel. It also includes child protection as a cross-cutting priority and incorporates efforts under the youth and peace and security agenda. The ceiling for police and corrections advisory personnel under the United Nations Police Commissioner has nearly doubled from 42 to 70, and BINUH was asked to bolster its support and security capacities so as to enable its staff to travel to carry out its mandate. Language was strengthened on tools to combat illicit arms trafficking and on the political process. Finally, the Council stated its position on the specialized support force for the Haitian National Police that was requested by that country. Moreover, the Secretary- General was asked to report on the full spectrum of security support options that the United Nations can provide, including the possibility of a peace mission. We have taken important steps, but this is not the end goal, but rather a solid milestone on which we can build.

I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom is pleased to have voted in favour of resolution 2692 (2023), which extends and strengthens the mandate for the Organization’s vital work in Haiti. It is particularly welcome that the resolution paves the way for the Council to respond to Haiti’s request for security support, in the context of the steeply deteriorating security, humanitarian, political and economic situation. Only last week the Council heard powerful accounts from civil society and the region on the appalling human rights abuses being committed by gangs in Haiti (see S/PV.9368). Conflict-related sexual violence, in particular, has spiralled in recent months, and the ability of normal people to live their lives, to move freely or to go to school or to hospitals, has been tragically disrupted. That is why the United Kingdom, like others, welcomes the resolution and looks forward to considering, in due course, the options presented by the Secretary-General. I now resume my functions as President of the Council.

I make this statement on behalf of the African members of the Security Council, namely, Gabon, Mozambique and Ghana (A3). While we know the broad support that the Council has just granted for the cause of peace and stability in Haiti, our position is that more could have been done and indeed more should be done. We acknowledge the Council’s efforts to strengthen the police and corrections unit of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) and to scale up its strategic and advisory support to enhance the training and investigation capacities of the Haitian National Police. However, we are mindful of BINUH’s limitations in terms of the assistance it can provide. It was in that regard that, during the negotiations, the A3 sought to have the Council demonstrate a much clearer commitment of its readiness to respond to the request of the Haitian Government in support of processes by Member States, including States of the region, to put together a robust security force to assist the Haitian National Police in re-establishing public order and peace across the country. We believe that the deteriorating situation in Haiti should compel the Council to give a timely and definite response of support when the Secretary-General presents the report that we have requested of him in 30 days’ time. The challenges facing Haiti are not insurmountable, however, and the resilience of its people attests to this fact. Indeed, we note small but encouraging shifts in the dynamics of the situation and welcome the supportive role that States of the region and the Caribbean Community have assumed. This gives confidence that, working together and quickly, we can support the people of Haiti to address their humanitarian, political and security challenges. We therefore thank the co-penholders, Ecuador and the United States, for facilitating the unanimous adoption of resolution 2692 (2023), which provides BINUH with continuing capacity so that the United Nations can support the people of Haiti through its good offices role. While the resolution may not have responded fully to all the immediate needs of the Haitian people, it sets the right course for all stakeholders to reach an agreement towards a democratic political process and make progress towards a Haitian-led and Haitian-owned solution to the crisis. Gabon, Ghana and Mozambique take this opportunity to encourage all friendly countries in the region and beyond to sustain their efforts and support for Haiti, especially for the political processes and the restoration of public order. We urge the Council to keep the situation in Haiti at the forefront of its attention. We must do everything possible to support the Haitian people and their Government to restore the glorious and historic foundations of their Statehood.

By voting in favour of resolution 2692 (2023), the United Arab Emirates reaffirmed its full support for the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti and its role in assisting Haiti back onto the path towards peace and stability. The ongoing and horrific violence, including abhorrent reports of sexual and gender-based violence visited on the people of Haiti by armed gangs, remains completely unacceptable. The security and political situation in the country must be addressed simultaneously. While the Security Council continues its discussions on how best to respond to the deteriorating security situation, we once again call on all relevant stakeholders to work towards an inclusive and inter-Haitian dialogue for a Haitian-led and Haitian- owned political settlement. This remains critical for the sake of the people of Haiti and the wider region. We therefore welcome the resolution’s increased recognition of the important role of countries and organizations of the region, including the Caribbean Community, to support Haiti on its path towards stability and security. Haiti remains one of the countries most vulnerable to natural disasters and climate change. Just last month we witnessed the heavy rainfalls and floods that followed the earthquakes that hit the country. The implications of climate change have aggravated the already dire food, water and humanitarian situation, destroying critical infrastructure and impeding the capacity for humanitarian actors to reach those who are most in need. We therefore welcome the resolution’s inclusion of a paragraph proposed by the United Arab Emirates that recognizes that the adverse impact of climate change and natural disasters are exacerbating the humanitarian situation in Haiti, further fuelling instability. We applaud the co-penholders’ constructive approach on this critical issue and across the text, which was reflected in the unanimous adoption today  — a much needed sign of Council unity.

I now give the floor to the representative of Haiti.

Through my delegation, the Government of Haiti welcomes the unanimous adoption of resolution 2692 (2023), which extends the mandate of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) until 15 July 2024. I would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to the members of the Security Council for their efforts to move Haiti’s case forward. We welcome the renewal of BINUH and the broadening of its mandate, which takes into account the country’s new reality and challenges. Certain steps forward are encouraging, including the strengthening of the police unit, the call for cooperation between Member States to prevent the trafficking and diversion of illicit weapons, and the appeal to Member States to contribute to the basket fund for security assistance and to provide security support to the Haitian National Police. It is to be hoped that sufficient resources will be made available to BINUH to carry out these tasks effectively and efficiently. The extension of BINUH’s mandate is certainly a step in the right direction. But it is not enough on its own to help the Government meet the security challenges facing Haiti. We need to bring about a convergence of synergies and find innovative ideas that respond to the complex situation, with a view to receiving long- awaited robust international assistance to support the efforts of the Haitian National Police in its fight against heavily armed gangs. In this respect, we are grateful to all those countries willing to contribute to responding to the request made by His Excellency Prime Minister Ariel Henry. The context in Haiti has not changed. The daily lives of Haitians are still marked by kidnappings, gang violence and increasing humanitarian needs in every department of the country. According to surveys by human rights organizations, no fewer than 563 people died violent deaths in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area in the first half of 2023. More than 260 people were abducted from their homes or public places. Today in Haiti all eyes are on this important Security Council meeting. The population is waiting for a concrete solution concerning the deployment of an international force. That did not come to pass, and the disappointment will necessarily be great. I therefore take this opportunity, by way of conclusion, to repeat the words of Haiti’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Mr. Jean Victor Généus, who spoke at the Council meeting on 6 July: “The Council’s action is critical to restoring hope in Haiti and enabling its people ... to hope for a better tomorrow” (S/PV.9368, p. 21).