UNITED NATIONS, CMC – A technical assessment mission for the United Nations Support Office in Haiti has completed its work, intended to validate the concept for establishing the UN Support Office.
UN Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq said that the Support Office was authorised by the Security Council, as adopted on 30 September.
“As you can imagine, the purpose of this assessment mission was to move forward with this process and to validate the mission support concept for the establishment of the UN Support Office.”
He said that a team of technical experts and planners from the Department of Operational Support – including engineering, procurement, logistics, telecommunications, together with security colleagues travelled to Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
The team, alongside representatives from the departments of Peace Operations and Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, also traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with key interlocutors.
“Throughout the mission, the team met with a variety of stakeholders to prepare for the transition of support. This included Haitian authorities, the UN Country Team, and our political mission in Haiti – BINUH.
“They also met with Dominican Republic authorities, current contractors, the Organization of American States and member states who are supporting Haiti,” Haq said, adding that immediately following the adoption of the Security Council resolution in September, the Department of Operational Support initiated its operational planning across all mandated areas to assume responsibility for full logistical support to the Gang Suppression Force (GSF) by the end of March next year – and to meet the six month timeline of the mandate.
“Planning and delivery for the UN Support Office will be undertaken with strong coordination and cooperation across the UN system, also in line with the Security Council Resolution,” Haq added.
The GSF is a new multinational security force approved by the UN Security Council in September to replace the previous Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission. Authorised for an initial 12-month mandate, the GSF will be larger. It will have a mandate to proactively “neutralize, isolate, and deter” gangs in Haiti, in addition to supporting the Haitian National Police (HNP).
The GSF is also tasked with securing key infrastructure, combating illicit arms trafficking, and creating conditions for elections and other forms of institutional stability. It has a more aggressive mandate to conduct independent, “intelligence-led” operations to neutralize gangs, unlike the previous mission, which was limited to supporting the HNP.
The GSF, which will have a maximum of 5,550 personnel, consisting of 5,500 uniformed troops and 50 civilians, is authorised to arrest suspected gang members.
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