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Haiti - Security : Reconfiguration of the Minustah, the possible options
25/03/2014 10:04:35

Haiti - Security : Reconfiguration of the Minustah, the possible options
Monday morning, at its 7147th meeting, the Security Council considered the some possible options that the Secretary General of the UN Ban Ki-moon proposes for the reconfiguration, after 2016, of the United Nations Mission UN stabilization Mission in Haiti (Minustah).

Consideration of a more tailored mandate for the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (Minustah) 10 years since its launch and a lighter United Nations footprint overall were among the central themes discussed in the Security Council today.

Before the Council was the Secretary-General’s latest report on the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (Minustah), which outlines recent progress and proposes a full-scale, United Nations-wide strategic assessment to provide an updated, in-depth look at conditions on the ground in relation to five possible options for reconfiguring the Mission.

Presenting the report, Sandra Honoré, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of Minustah, said that on the basis of an initial review, the Secretary-General had identified several broad options, including the establishment of a special political mission alongside a smaller, more focused peacekeeping operation and no military presence; the possible increase in the United Nations police presence countrywide; and an adjustment of the Mission’s current mandate in order to align it with progress towards completing the National Consolidation Plan.

Declaring that Haiti was at a turning point, she noted that Minustah was on target to reduce its uniformed strength by 15 per cent and reach its mandated strength of 5,021 troops by the end of June. The Secretary-General intended to explore the best way for the Organization to contribute greater stability and development in Haiti beyond 2016.

Concerning development of the Haitian National Police — a key component of any future strategy — she said that Minustah, together with international partners, continued to offer support with the aim of passing 15,000 active police officers by 2016, up from the current strength of 11,228. Professionalizing the national police was vital to enduring stability, she said, emphasizing the importance of complementing that by improving the rule of law, notably in the justice and corrections sectors.

She said the recent signing of a new agreement between the executive and legislative branches of government and a new inter-Haitian dialogue were important steps towards the successful holding of elections later this year. National political leaders should adhere to the newly-signed agreement and consolidate democratic stabilization so as to create the conditions necessary for durable socioeconomic development.

There was broad agreement during the ensuing debate that the Mission should not "remain there forever". Argentina’s representative noted that it was in place to help stabilize Haiti, with the goal of a gradual, though not premature, withdrawal "when the time is right".

Reviewing current aspects of the situation, speakers noted the continuing food insecurity and increased child malnutrition in Haiti, exacerbated by drought in the north. Of great concern were long-overdue local, municipal and impartial senatorial elections, many of them said.

While speakers noted the considerable progress made towards stabilizing Haiti since the Mission’s full deployment in 2004 and agreed that it was time to consider an adjusted mandate, many cautioned that a "careful calibration" was needed to address the situation on the ground. Haiti remained fragile in many areas, they agreed, emphasizing that the gains made must be preserved.

Brazil’s representative focused on the complexity of challenges, citing insecurity, the cholera epidemic and social and economic sluggishness. Warning against any "abrupt interruption" of support provided by the peacekeeping presence, he said that his country, a long-time contributor to Minustah, favoured maintaining a military capability to support the national police, including under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter. It would also be important to preserve the Mission’s Latin American and Caribbean profile during any reconfiguration.

Haiti’s representative said everyone recognized Minustah’s "incontestable" success in priority areas, but stressed the importance of bearing in mind the scope of the remaining work and the size of the challenges to which the country must still respond. The time had come to take stock of the past decade and, as Minustah neared the end of its mandate, to "consider or reconsider" its future, he said. Any reconfiguration must take "the imperatives of the hour" into account and reflect Haiti’s specific needs at the current stage of its development. Now that it had moved past its democratic transition, new priorities that would sustain democracy, the rule of law and security, as well as economic and social development, must be identified.

HL/ HaïtiLibre

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