Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the UN Security
Council meeting on Haiti.
I thank SRSG Salvador, Executive Director Russell, Executive
Director Waly, and Ms. Manigat for their briefings today. UN
staff and their local partners continue to do vital work in Haiti
in the toughest of circumstances. I also welcome the
participation of the representatives of Haiti, Jamaica, and the
Dominican Republic.
The UK remains concerned by the deteriorating political and
security situation in Haiti that has been set out by our briefers
today and its severe impact on the Haitian people and the region.
Gangs continue to take over entire neighbourhoods on which they
unleash killing, burning, kidnapping and severe restriction of
movement.
The Multinational Security Support mission, which this Council
mandated earlier this month, is an important step to help the
Haitian National Police address the deteriorating security
situation in their country and we pay tribute to Kenya and other
countries who are stepping up. But this mission will not alone
solve the multidimensional crisis in Haiti.
President, long-term stability in Haiti cannot be achieved
without political progress that allows the Haitian people to
choose their next leaders through free, fair and credible
elections. We call on all political actors to put aside their
differences for the common interest of the Haitian people and
agree on a roadmap that commits all parties to working towards a
return to long-term stable governance. We commend efforts to
broker transparent dialogue in search of a genuine commitment to
political progress.
We continue to hear chilling accounts of the widespread use of
sexual violence – including collective rape – by armed gangs as a
weapon to instil fear into communities. There are also accounts
of the recruitment of vulnerable children into gangs. The UK
welcomes the renewal of sanctions targeting those responsible
for, and supporting, armed criminal violence in Haiti. We stand
ready to consider further sanctions designations against gangs
and their influential backers to help deliver a more stable
future for the Haitian people.
