UN Greenlights Deployment of Security Forces to Haiti

Police officers patrol a neighborhood amid gang-related violence in downtown Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on April 25, 2023. Richard Pierrin/AFP via Getty Images

The U.N. Security Council on Oct. 2 approved the deployment of an international security force to assist Haiti’s national police in curbing escalating gang violence and restoring stability across the “strife-torn Caribbean nation.”

The Haitian government and various leaders in the nation requested the United Nations’ support after facing months of chaos; more than 3,000 homicides and 1,500 kidnappings have been reported this year, and more than 200,000 people have been displaced from their homes.

Sexual violence against women and girls by armed gangs is on the rise, and tens of thousands of children can’t attend school, the U.N. said.

Haiti has been troubled by gang violence that surged particularly after the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, resulting in a power vacuum despite Prime Minister Ariel Henry governing on an interim basis.

A protester adds a tire to a burning barricade during a police demonstration to protest the recent killings of six police officers by armed gangs, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Jan. 26, 2023. Richard Pierrin/AFP via Getty Images

Specifically, the Security Council voted in support of sending the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission to secure Haiti’s vital infrastructure and transit points. The resolution, drafted by the United States and Ecuador, was met with gratitude from Haitian officials, expressing hope for their troubled nation’s future.

Haitian Foreign Minister Jean Victor Geneus expressed gratitude to countries’ ambassadors to the U.N. for their support and the historic resolution, emphasizing that it signifies solidarity with a distressed population. He urged member states to swiftly commit to the mission to restore a safe and stable environment and to reinstate democratic institutions.

Haiti’s Long-Term Stability

Jointly penned by the United States and Ecuador, the resolution is based on the U.N. Charter’s Chapter VII, which outlines the Security Council’s role in maintaining international peace and security.

Following the resolution’s adoption, U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis, acting deputy representative to the U.N., said that the Security Council had “made history” by authorizing the multinational support mission, emphasizing its role in addressing Haiti’s multidimensional crisis.

A vehicle set on fire by protesters burns during a demonstration against insecurity in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Aug. 7, 2023. Odelyn Joseph/AP Photo

“The deployment of this mission will help to support Haiti’s critical near-term needs and to foster the security conditions necessary for the country to advance long-term stability,” Mr. DeLaurentis said.

While the mission will primarily support Haitian police, it’s but one part of the larger effort to address the wider crisis, including the humanitarian, economic, and political challenges, he said.

Resolution

The resolution, adopted with 13 votes in favor and two abstentions (Russia and China), also empowers the MSS mission to secure critical infrastructure, transit hubs, airports, ports, schools, hospitals, and key intersections.

The Security Council has called on participating nations to uphold the “highest standards of transparency, conduct, and discipline for their personnel,” along with establishing “an oversight mechanism to prevent human rights violations or abuses, including sexual exploitation,” the U.N. website states.

Zhang Jun, China’s ambassador and permanent representative to the U.N., explained his abstention by saying that it’s necessary for Haiti to establish a “legitimate, effective, accountable government” before any foreign intervention will prove effective. He also urged timely reporting to the Security Council and said that the mission must comply with international law and the basic norms governing international relations so as to avoid infringing on sovereignty.

Meanwhile, China is facing the possibility of being taken to court for a second time by the Philippines for not respecting national sovereignty.

The Philippines, which has internationally recognized claims to parts of the South China Sea, is considering legal action at the U.N.’s international court of arbitration—The Hague—after observing “severe damage” to masses of its coral reefs in the West Philippine Sea that Beijing is trying to claim. Chinese maritime militia ships were seen by the Philippine Coast Guard to be in the region at the time that damage was suspected.

Other ambassadors celebrated the U.N. resolution to assist Haiti as a significant milestone.

Martin Kimani, ambassador and permanent representative of Kenya, called it an “exemplary spirit of cooperation.” The foreign minister reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to work closely with Haiti’s allies and the Caribbean Community member states in establishing the mission in accordance with the resolution.

Security alert for US Citizens

As the unrest continues in Haiti, U.S. citizens continue to be warned against travel to Haiti. In August, the U.S. Embassy in Haiti issued a “security alert” for Americans to leave the impoverished Caribbean country “as soon as possible” because of the deteriorating security situation.