Statement by the Republic of Slovenia at the briefing on the question concerning Haiti

I would like to begin by thanking SRSG Ms. Salvador, Executive Director Russell, and Ms. Ducéna for their briefings.

I also welcome the participation of Minister Álvarez and the Permanent Representatives of Haiti and Kenya in this meeting. 

Madam President,

Let me begin today’s statement by condemning, in the strongest possible terms, the attack carried out by the Gran Grif gang on October 3 in the town of Pont Sondé, which resulted in over a 100 civilian casualties.

The brutal gang attack serves as a sobering reminder that the ongoing human tragedy, marked by the loss of life and widespread human rights abuses, remains an everyday reality for Haitian population.

It also underscores the urgent need for the international community to do more in supporting Haitian authorities in their fight against gangs.

It is increasingly concerning that gang violence is spreading from the capital to other departments, including rural areas, across the country.

In this respect, we welcome the deployment to Haiti of more than four hundred police officers and defense forces as part of the MSS mission, which now includes personnel from Kenya, Jamaica, Belize, and the Bahamas.

At the same time, we reiterate our hope for the continued deployment of the mission to effectively support the efforts of the Haitian National Police to re-establish security in Haiti.

Madam President,

Urgently needed improvements in the security situation must be accompanied by tangible progress in transitional governance arrangements.

Following the installation of the Transitional Presidential Council and interim government earlier this year, we are encouraged by the recent appointments to the Provisional Electoral Council and express hope for its swift and full operationalization.

The three resolutions unanimously adopted in recent months reflect the Security Council’s steadfast support for Haiti.

Let me assure the Haitian people of our continued support as they transition in the coming months towards restoration of democratic institutions through holding fair, credible, participatory, and inclusive elections.

In the same vein, we urge all relevant stakeholders in Haiti to leverage this support and responsibly commit to achieving a consensus that will enable a timely and transparent, Haitian-led and Haitian-owned solution to the country’s political situation.

Finally, Madam President,

Amid the persisting security crisis, human rights abuses perpetrated by gangs continue at alarming levels.

We condemn, in the strongest terms, all forms of sexual and gender-based violence, most often targeting women and girls as a weapon to control and terrorize communities, and express alarm over the increased forced recruitment and exploitation of children by the gangs.

As highlighted by Ms. Russell, children bear the brunt of the insecurity and are subjected to unprecedented levels of serious abuses and violations.  

Urgent action is therefore required to protect their rights and safety, and for those who have been recruited by gangs, to ensure their safe handover to civilian actors for reintegration into society and the opportunity for a peaceful childhood.

Furthermore, we are deeply concerned about the gang violence exacerbating the dire humanitarian situation, which has resulted in high levels of acute food insecurity for nearly half of Haitian population.

To this end, we continue to call for allowing and facilitating safe, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access to all those in need.    

Through its latest contribution to the World Food Programme, Slovenia continues its commitment to supporting humanitarian efforts in Haiti.

We echo the Secretary-General’s call to the international community to intensify its support in this regard.

I thank you.

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