Haiti – UN: Intervention on Haiti by American Ambassador Robert Wood

The United States commends the Haitian National Police (PNH), particularly its special units, who have successfully conducted anti-gang operations and continue to improve coordination and incident management.

And we welcome the announcement of the creation of an inclusive and broad-based Presidential Transitional Council (PTC) that brings together most of Haiti’s main political parties, as well as key stakeholders from the private sector, religious communities and of civil society. Its creation constitutes a positive step towards resolving the political and security crisis in Haiti, by laying the foundations for free and fair elections and deploying the Multinational Security Support Mission (MMSS).

Much work remains to be done. Yet this announcement represents a much-needed glimmer of hope for the Haitian people, who continue to suffer from indiscriminate violence and horrific human rights violations.

Today, power-hungry gangs continue to attack civilians, police units and critical infrastructure.

Gang control of key transportation routes and economic activity has restricted freedom of movement, while increasing the difficulty, cost, and risks of obtaining essential goods and services.

As a result, a growing number of Haitians face food insecurity.

It is clear that the people of Haiti need humanitarian assistance. They need the violence to decrease. And they need a more stable political situation, with a clear return to the democratic path.

The deployment of the MMSS will help achieve these objectives. This mission aims to build capacity and provide operational support to the PNH by helping it fight gangs and improve security conditions. It will help prevent, mitigate and remedy human rights violations, while engaging with civil society and Haitian communities to build trust. The Mission will operate with accountability and oversight, including measures to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse, and will meaningfully include women-led organizations and civil society. In other words, it will help stabilize security and humanitarian conditions, while the CPT strives to pave the way for free and fair elections.

But for the Mission to succeed, it needs your support, both financial and in kind. As we look to the future, let us all commit to rallying international aid to this effort and supporting partners like the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in their efforts to improve the situation in Haiti.

Let us support the renewal of the mandate of BINUH as a sign of solidarity with the Haitian people.

Let us work not only to resolve the crisis Haiti faces today, but also to address the root causes, encouraging broader participation and engagement. Together, we can help make efforts like the MMSS successful and put the country back on the path to stability and democracy. The Haitian people deserve nothing less.