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Statement on the situation in Haiti

Statement by the Republic of Slovenia at the UN Security Council briefing on the Report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti

Thank you, Mme. President.

I thank the Special Representative Ms. Salvador; Executive Director Ms. Waly and Executive Director of the Human Rights Watch, Ms. Hassan, for their briefings.

I also join the other Council Members in welcoming the participation of foreign ministers of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, as well as the PRs of Kenya and St. Lucia at today’s discussion. 

Mme. President,

We are discussing yet another tragic and sobering report of what seems to be a bottomless pit of human suffering.

I wish to reiterate our grave concern over the continuing deterioration of the security situation in Haiti, marked by indiscriminate armed gang violence against civilians and attacks against police units and infrastructure.

The most recent alarming gang violence spread to previously less affected area of Solino continues to contribute to and exacerbate extreme insecurity in the country. The illicit arms trafficking surely adds to this alarming trend.

Human rights violations perpetuated by gangs persist at shocking levels, and the lack of accountability remains a major concern. 

We are appalled by the continued systematic use of sexual violence, notably against women and girls, to consolidate control over population. Sexual violence remains severely underreported due to the threat of retaliation by perpetrators.

Moreover, the recruitment and exploitation of children by gangs, including due to deficiency in educational opportunities in the country, is extremely worrying. If this persists, Haiti is at risk of losing generations of youth.

Mme. President,

Stabilizing the security conditions is the first, but crucial step towards addressing Haiti’s multidimensional crisis.

We take note of the continued preparations for the deployment of the Multinational Security Support Mission to the country, and encourage all actors involved to enable it to carry out its mandate promptly.

In this regard, further reinforcement of the capacity of the Haitian National Police (HNP) by the Government, with the assistance of BINUH, must continue.

Similarly, as foreseen in the Council’s Resolution 2476 (2019), the criminal justice and correctional systems must be strengthened and improved in order to accompany the work of the MSS and the HNP. We call on the authorities of Haiti to continue the efforts in this regard. We also encourage them to take into account and implement the recommendations of the UNODC.

The alignment of the Government efforts, those of the MSS and the United Nations, will therefore be critical.

Mme. President,

The humanitarian situation in the country remains dire, and humanitarian access remains constrained.

With the persistent insecurity, disrupted access to the agricultural markets as well as impact of droughts and other climate change-induced natural disasters, the country’s food crisis is worrying as it adds another danger to the population. 

Acute food insecurity today affects more than forty per cent Haitians.

We echo the call of the Secretary-General on the international community to urgently increase its support to the humanitarian responses in Haiti.

Slovenia remains committed to addressing the needs of the population and has been contributing humanitarian aid to this end.

Finally, Mme. President,

Allow me to point out that no sustained progress is possible without political prospects.

We encourage all stakeholders to continue and strengthen the inter-Haitian dialogue.

We also call on all parties to engage openly and constructively with a view to reach consensus on credible, participatory and fair elections.

Slovenia appreciates and encourages the continuation of the active regional support by the Caribbean Community and the OAS in this regard.

Thank you.

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