S/PV.9444 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/2023/787, 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 2700 (2023). I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements after the voting.

I welcome the presence of the Permanent Representative of Haiti. A little over two weeks ago (see S/PV.9430), we adopted the resolution to authorize the Multinational Security Support Mission to Haiti (resolution 2699 (2023)). And just three weeks ago (see S/PV.9377), we adopted the resolution to renew the mandate of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (resolution 2693 (2023)). Once again, today the Security Council is carrying out its responsibilities set out in the Charter of the United Nations by adopting the resolution renewing the mandate of the Sanctions Committee established under resolution 2653 (2022), concerning Haiti, including the Panel of Experts (resolution 2700 (2023)). As we have pointed out time and again, the humanitarian, political and security crisis in Haiti is a multidimensional one, which requires an integrated response. I note the role played by Ambassador Michel Xavier Biang, Permanent Representative of Gabon, and his team in carrying out the Committee’s work, as well as in its visit to Haiti last June, as welcomed by the resolution we just adopted. I would highlight that that work will be further stepped up with the Council’s request for an update to the list of designated individuals and entities. I also express my thanks for the work of the Secretariat and the Panel of Experts. I am grateful for the close and positive cooperation of the delegation of the United States as our co-penholder and once again highlight the constructive participation of all delegations, which made it possible to renew as well as strengthen the Committee’s mandate. I highlight the arms embargo under resolution 2699 (2023), which with today’s adoption will be in force until at least 19 October 2024. I would also underscore that additional measures were taken to ensure that the Government of Haiti can strengthen its capacities to manage weapons and munitions. Similarly, the Multinational Security Support Mission will carry out management processes with regard to sophisticated weapons so as to prevent their diversion and illicit trafficking, thereby supporting the Government of Haiti in that sphere. I also underscore that the resolution we adopted today acknowledges the need to lastingly strengthen due process so as to ensure transparent and fair proceedings in the area of sanctions, including the intention to develop such measures. I once again welcome that this second adoption pertaining to Haiti is taking place during the Brazilian presidency. I note your decision, Mr. President, to schedule this meeting separately from the briefing to be held on Monday, 23 October. That makes is possible once again for us to devote specific efforts to Haiti at this arduous time of conflict and pain in other regions of the world. The Council and the United Nations system must not rest until no children in Haiti are forced to eat mud cookies for sustenance, suffer sexual violence in the context of armed violence, be recruited, die or see their loved ones die due to the ruthlessness of the criminal gangs.

Let me also welcome the Permanent Representative of Haiti to the meeting. With the unanimous adoption of resolution  2700  (2023), the Security Council has taken an important step to help the Haitian people, who have been victims of brutal gang violence, acute food insecurity, a cholera outbreak and years of instability and needless suffering. I would like to first thank Ecuador, as our co-penholder, for its work on this resolution, the third resolution adopted by the Council on Haiti since July. I also want to thank the members of the Council for their constructive engagement. We welcome the extension of the mandate of the Panel of Experts on Haiti and the renewal of the arms embargo, travel ban and asset-freeze measures. The measures outlined in this resolution will play a critical role in promoting peace and stability in Haiti and in the broader region. We remain deeply concerned about the security and humanitarian situation in Haiti. So many Haitians continue to suffer from the ongoing violence. The adoption of this resolution strengthens a key tool from the Security Council’s broader peace and security toolkit, with respect to Haiti. A lasting political solution is critical to promoting a peaceful and prosperous future for the people of Haiti and the region. And we continue to view an international response to Haiti’s call for international security support as serious, credible and realistic and one potential approach to taking on Haiti’s challenges. The Panel of Experts on Haiti noted in its reporting that Haitian stakeholders expressed hope for the rapid expansion and implementation of United Nations sanctions in Haiti. When the Council established the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2653 (2022), concerning Haiti, we answered the call of the Haitian people to take action against criminal actors, including gangs and their financiers, who have been undermining stability and expanding poverty in their vibrant society. Today is another milestone. This resolution recognizes the urgent needs on the ground, and this adoption builds on the Council’s recent resolutions to renew and strengthen the mandate of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti and to authorize the Multinational Security Support Mission to Haiti. We are dedicated to adding designations to this regime and encourage other Member States to work with us on this. The United States is committed to the people of Haiti, and we will work closely with the Haitian Government, fellow Council members and all stakeholders to facilitate peace and prosperity for Haiti and the region.

I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of Brazil. (spoke in French) I recognize the presence of the Permanent Representative of Haiti at this meeting. Brazil thanks the United States and Ecuador for their tireless work as co-penholders of resolution 2700 (2023). The Council recently adopted resolution  2699  (2023), approving the deployment of a multinational force to Haiti, under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, in order to address the urgent and dire security situation in the country, with cross-border repercussions. Today the Council adopted by consensus the renewal of the sanctions regime against those who support violence in the country. The United Nations Charter gives the Security Council the authority to take or authorize measures to maintain international peace and security, sanctions being one such tool. As a measure of last resort, after less coercive alternatives have been exhausted, sanctions can be legitimate and effective when they are multilaterally created, strategically targeted and designed to have minimal impact on the civilian population. Brazil welcomes the confirmation, in today’s resolution, of a total embargo on arms, which gangs and paramilitary groups continue to access, with impunity, so as to neutralize the activities of those groups. With regard to multilateral sanctions, Brazil is always ready to evaluate requests for the inclusion of new names in the sanctions list, provided that they are based on solid and well-documented arguments. No safe havens or privileges should be granted to those responsible for the violence and the political and institutional deadlock in the country, especially those who manipulate the gangs and the political process to continue to profit from the current dire situation. Sanctions, combined with a serious arms embargo against gangs and paramilitary groups will undoubtedly help to stabilize the security situation and put Haiti back on the road to stability and sustainable economic and social development. We therefore welcome today’s resolution as a strong sign of support for Haiti and its people. (spoke in English) I resume my functions as President of the Council.

Switzerland voted in favour of renewing sanctions in Haiti. We believe that sanctions help to maintain peace and international security. They can be used to put an end to the abominable violence in Haiti. To that end, sanctions must be effective and credible. That means that the Council’s sanctions must respect procedural guarantees when individuals and entities are placed on or removed from sanctions lists. Since 2005, Switzerland has been working with the Group of Like-Minded States on Targeted Sanctions to promote the rule of law in United Nations sanctions. Apart from the creation of the Ombudsperson mechanism in the sanctions regime of the Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015), concerning the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities, little progress has been made. At present, States remain exposed to the risk of court litigation, which creates a situation where they may not be able to enforce sanctions. Sufficient due process is the best way to remedy that and to ensure uniform and universal implementation of Security Council sanctions. Last year, when the Security Council established the sanctions regime through resolution 2653 (2022), it recognized the importance of due process. Given that this issue is a priority for Switzerland, my country has been actively involved in negotiations to strengthen it. Today the Council has agreed to promote the development of due process. It has thus given itself a clear mandate. We must build on that promise and continue our efforts, which must go beyond the focal point, which does not meet rule-of-law standards. Switzerland will continue to engage constructively with the members of the Council.

In October 2022, at China’s initiative and with its strong backing, the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2653 (2022), imposing targeted sanctions on Haitian gangs, thus putting into practice our common cause — to curb violent gun crimes and improve the security situation in Haiti. China appreciates Gabon’s conscientious performance of its duties as Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2653 (2022), concerning Haiti, over the past year, and acknowledges the work of the Sanctions Committee and the Panel of Experts. Gangs are still rampant in Haiti, and the Haitian people are still living in misery. Just now, the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2700 (2023), renewing the sanctions on Haiti for one year. China welcomes that adoption. Recently, multiple Haiti-related resolutions adopted by the Council have mentioned the issue of gang sanctions, testifying to the Council’s strong consensus and firm determination to crack down on guns and mitigate the woes in Haiti. We hope that the relevant measures can be implemented concretely and play a role in deterring gun violence, protecting the Haitian people and restoring peace to Haiti. The resolution stresses that every country should take all necessary measures to prevent illegal flows of small arms and light weapons into Haiti. We hope that all countries, especially regional States, will take concrete action to implement the resolution’s requirements and cut off the gangs’ sources of weapons. The resolution requires the Sanctions Committee to consider updating the designated list as soon as possible in view of the Panel’s report, and that should be done without delay, as the Council’s reputation and authority are at stake. A full year after the adoption of resolution 2653 (2022), the fact that only one person is on the designated list needs to change as soon as possible. We urge the Sanctions Committee to speed up its work, fulfil the resolution’s requirements and monitor the efforts to ensure that the sanctions are comprehensively and effectively implemented. Targeted sanctions and security support are only part of the solution to the Haitian issue, which lies ultimately in advancing a Haitian-led, Haitianowned political process. As championed by China, the resolution we just adopted once again calls on all the parties in Haiti to swiftly reach the broadest possible consensus on the arrangements for a political transition and to formulate a timetable and road map for holding free, fair and credible elections. We call on all parties and groups in Haiti to put aside their selfish interests, live up to their responsibility and commitment, proceed based on their country and people’s fundamental interests and act with the highest sense of urgency in conducting political consultations to bridge differences. We support the continued mediation efforts of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti, the Caribbean Community and others, and are willing to work with the international community to help and support the Haitian people in emerging from this crisis as soon as possible.

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the three African members of the Security Council (A3). We welcome the presence of the Permanent Representative of Haiti at today’s meeting and thank the co-penholders for their efforts to renew the sanctions regime for Haiti. We also acknowledge the important work that the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2653 (2022), concerning Haiti continues to do under the chairmanship of Ambassador Biang of Gabon, as well as that of the Panel of Experts. The members of the A3 are pleased to have voted in favour of resolution 2700 (2023), renewing the sanctions regime in Haiti. Our vote reflects our keen awareness of the critical state of the prevailing security context in Haiti, which requires urgent, consensus and concerted action by the Council to combat the threat posed by the rise and influence of organized gangs to the peace and security of Haiti and the subregion. The A3 is delighted that the members of the Council were once again able to overcome their differences to focus on the intolerable situation that our brother people of Haiti are going through, demonstrating the Council’s ability to achieve results when we, its members, truly want it. Although the renewed resolution is not accompanied by an updated list of sanctions, we note with appreciation that it directs the 2653 Committee to act promptly in that regard and reflects the extension of the arms embargo, in accordance with paragraph 14 of resolution 2699 (2023). Lastly, the A3 reiterates how important it is for the Council to continue to work in a spirit of consensus and unity in support of the hopes of the Haitian people and authorities and of their very legitimate aspirations for peace and security.

I now give the floor to the representative of Haiti.

First, allow me to welcome the convening of this important Council meeting under Brazil’s active presidency. I would also like to take this opportunity to express my delegation’s gratitude to the Council members and our acute awareness of the ongoing efforts to keep the situation in Haiti on the international agenda. We have listened with great interest to the members’ constructive comments and are very encouraged by the proposals they have made. I would also like to pay tribute to the remarkable work being done by the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2653 (2022), concerning Haiti, led by Ambassador Biang of Gabon, and we welcome the comprehensive report of the Panel of Experts, which has been eagerly awaited in Haiti. The Council just unanimously adopted resolution 2700 (2023), which renews for one year the sanctions regime that was imposed on Haiti by resolution 2653 (2022) and at the same time extends the mandate of the Panel of Experts. The text’s adoption under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations comes just days after the vote on resolution 2699 (2023), authorizing the deployment of the Multinational Security Support Mission to Haiti. The two decisions are complementary and show the Council’s determination to make an effective contribution to the re-establishment of a security climate in Haiti that can facilitate the organization of democratic elections, which should culminate in the restoration of State institutions that guarantee the rule of law. By renewing the sanctions regime established by resolution 2653 (2022) for one year, the Council is sending a clear, strong message to the people and entities that have contributed to the deterioration of the security situation in the country and that pose a threat to peace and security in the region. In this way, the international community is making an effective contribution to restoring a security climate in Haiti conducive to organizing democratic elections, which would lead to the restoration of State institutions. I want to underscore how significant it is that the text, like last year’s, establishes a series of measures that include a travel ban, an assets freeze and an arms embargo. In that respect, I would like to focus in particular on the issue of arms trafficking, which is a key part of the serious multidimensional crisis that my country is experiencing and to which the Government attaches great importance. We are pleased that the Council has paid the attention that the issue of arms trafficking requires through its inclusion of operative paragraph 14 in resolution 2699 (2023). Member States must be more proactive in combating the illicit arms trade, which not only inflicts grief on Haitian families but destabilizes the entire social, economic and political fabric of the country. Sanctions are one of the Council’s most robust responses to threats to peace and security in conflict situations. In the case of Haiti, they can help to calm the country’s sociopolitical climate, among other things. We therefore await with great interest the publication of the full list of the main players involved in the worsening security crisis in the country. Slowly but surely, the international community is making positive and qualitative progress by putting in place mechanisms that can help to better tackle the Haitian crisis. All that remains for us is to move on to the active phase, which is the effective application of the many resolutions adopted on Haiti. Ultimately, the Council’s work will be measured against concrete results obtained on the ground in significantly improving security in the country and the quality of life of its people.