UNITED NATIONS, CMC – The United Nations Security Council is expected to debate a resolution on Monday to deploy an international security support mission in Haiti.
A draft copy of the resolution condemns “the increasing violence, criminal activities, and human rights abuses and violations that undermine the peace, stability, and security of Haiti.”
Haitian Prime Minister Dr. Ariel Henry, who heads the interim government following the July 7, 2021, assassination of President Jovennel Moise, has in the past called on the international community to send in a multinational force to maintain peace and security in the country.
According to the draft resolution, the initial duration of the mission would be one year, and it would be a non-UN force financed by voluntary contributions.
Several Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries, namely Barbados, the Bahamas, Jamaica, Antigua, and Barbuda, and Belize, have already indicated a willingness to be part of the multinational force to be led by Kenya.
According to the draft resolution, the mission would be authorized to provide operational support to the Haitian National Police (PNH) “through the planning and conduct of joint security support operations”;
The resolution would authorize the mission to use force and “adopt urgent temporary measures on an exceptional basis” to prevent loss of life and help police maintain public security;
The resolution indicates that the multinational force would help strengthen the capabilities of the PNH, and it will also secure “critical infrastructure sites and transit locations such as the airport, ports, and key intersections”;
Mission leaders will be required to inform the Security Council of the objectives of the intervention, rules of engagement, financial requirements, and other related matters before deployment of the mission, according to the draft resolution.
CARICOM leaders addressing the recently concluded 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) had used the occasion to urge the international and, more particularly, the United Nations Security Council to pass a resolution allowing the multi-disciplinary force to enter Haiti.
Henry had told the UNGA that he had “come here today on behalf of the people of Haiti to tell you that we are ready for that change we have been waiting for almost two centuries.”
But he noted that “freedom can only be complete if it enables each citizen to live in dignity and decent conditions.”
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