Haiti Tops CARICOM Leaders’ Agenda at UNGA Debate
NEW YORK, New York - While several recurring topics, such as Climate Change, Sustainable Development and Financing for Development, occupied much of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders and officials’ presentation, during this week’s concluded United Nations General Assembly Debate, one topic or country that predominated was Haiti.
(File photo)In view of the ongoing socio-economic and political crises in Haiti, many regional countries appealed fervently to the international community to assist in alleviating the dire situation in the French-speaking Caribbean country.
“The political, humanitarian and security environment in Haiti is deteriorating. While I appreciate the efforts made so far to assist in finding an immediate solution, much more political efforts need to be made to translate the intentions into tangible actions,” said Suriname President Chandrikapersad Santokhi.
“The people of Haiti are looking to the regional and international community for assistance,” he added. “At the same time, the Haitian stakeholders, which are divided into opposing groups, must demonstrate the will to dialogue and reach a consensus for a way forward in the shortest possible time.”
Guyana’s President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali said the ongoing crisis is Haiti is of” grave concern,” stating that “urgent and decisive action must be taken to secure a comprehensive solution.”
Ali commended the offer by the Governments of Kenya and Rwanda to lead the Multinational Force (MNF) in Haiti, as well as the offers by the Bahamas and Jamaica.
He said Guyana is committed to working closely with partners within the UN and CARICOM to find a “long-lasting, stable and sustainable solution to the Haitian crisis, so that our Haitian brothers and sisters can live in peace and dignity.”
Dominica’s President Charles A. Savarin described the prevailing situation in Haiti is “a dire one, which deserves urgent international intervention.
“Haiti faces deep-rooted crises on multiple fronts – much of it arising from its post-independence relations with the international community, poor governance and the lingering effects of the catastrophic devastation visited on that country by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in January of 2010,” he said.
“If ever there was a cause deserving the full attention of the international community, that cause is Haiti,” added Savarin, stating that the Commonwealth of Dominica aligns itself with processes outlined by the Organization of American States to support the people of Haiti in August 2022, and decisions taken by the CARICOM at its 45th Regular meeting of Heads of Government in July this year, “to lend active support to the Government and people of Haiti, in their efforts to arrive at a Haitian-led solution to the ongoing crisis.”
But Savarin warned that while both these institutions have offered “commendable and necessary recommendations, even collectively, these will not be sufficient to normalize the current situation in Haiti.
“The Commonwealth of Dominica is of the view that a strategy which addresses the root causes of instability in Haiti will be embraced by the people of Haiti,” the president continued. “We also underscore that such an approach cannot be pursued without the unwavering support of the international community.”
He said Dominica, therefore, calls on the UN Security Council to “move decisively to offer support to Haiti in key priority areas, including security, governance, education, health, water and electricity, sustainable livelihoods and long-term development planning and advocacy.”
Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley said the twin-island republic “remains deeply concerned over the developments in our fellow CARICOM country, Haiti, that are causing unimaginable humanitarian socio-economic and security consequences.”
Rowley also applauded the decision of the Government of Kenya to offer to help lead a multinational unit in Haiti, and welcomed the decision of the Governments of The Bahamas and Jamaica to contribute personnel to it.
He said Rwanda’s offer to help is also “very significant and commendable.”
At the same time, Prime Minister Rowley urged the international community to collaborate with Haiti towards the achievement of a “credible solution to its current crisis that would guarantee that the country and its people are not left behind.”
Rowley recalled the exhortation by Trinidad and Tobago’s iconic calypsonian David
Rudder in his timeless classic, “Haiti I’m Sorry”, in which he intoned: “l refuse to believe that we good people would forever turn our hearts and eyes away; Haiti I’m sorry, we misunderstood you, one day we’ll turn our heads and look inside you.”
“That day has come,” the prime minister said. “That day is now. We, the United Nations gathered here, must prioritize authorization for the external help that Haiti desperately needs.
“Just like anywhere else in the world, Haiti deserves peace; Haiti deserves prosperity; Haiti deserves progress; and Haiti deserves sustainability. Haiti requires the intervention of the United Nations now,” Rowley emphasized.
Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley said that the situation in Haiti “should be resolved,” adding that “a government of national unity may be the only path to safety.”
St. Lucia Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre noted that member states of CARICOM remain “gravely concerned over the deteriorating political, social, humanitarian and security crises in Haiti, their sister member state.
“Haiti needs the urgent and dependable support of the international community,” he declared, stating that the response to date has been “underwhelming.”
Pierre said UN efforts of a few months ago to raise US$780 million for humanitarian purposes have received low pledges.
“The need for robust security assistance to counter the murderous armed gangs is clear.,” he said. “Yet, the decision to enable this is meandering slowly through the Security Council. The Caribbean Community hopes that the establishment of the multi-national force will be given full endorsement by the United Nations Security Council as a demonstration of the commitment of the international community to support restoration of law and order and improve the humanitarian conditions of the people of Haiti.”
The prime minister also noted that CARICOM welcomes the Government of Kenya’s willingness to lead such a multinational force.
He said member states of the Caribbean Community will contribute personnel as well, and that the Community will also continue its “good offices efforts”, through its Eminent Persons Group, to assist the Haitians stakeholders find a solution to the political crisis, “a critical necessity to pave the way towards an improved future for the people of Haiti.”
Pierre urged the various Haitian stakeholders to cooperate with CARICOM to find a political compromise for “the sake of the Haitian people and in honor of their heroic and fabled ancestors whom they revere so much, for daring to break the chains of slavery 200 years ago and bring freedom to the Black people of the Caribbean.”
Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda said “the enduring challenges faced by Haiti remain at the forefront of international consciousness.
“Historically, the scars of Haiti’s struggle for freedom from enslavement are juxtaposed with the exploitative economic interests of France in the 18th and 19th centuries, and have left deep imprints,” he said. “The immediate imperatives are clear: An urgent, comprehensive, coordinated intervention is required that will concurrently restore governance, security and the rule of law, while resolving the humanitarian needs.”
Browne said Antigua and Barbuda stands “resolutely in solidarity with the Haitian people,” reaffirming his government’s pledge to collaborate with all Haitian stakeholders, and with the international community, “in the efforts to reinstate the rule law, restoring democracy and assisting with security and humanitarian relief.
“The people of Haiti deserve no less,” he added.
Dr. Ralph E. Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, said “an especial focus is required for our Haiti.
“Haiti continues to be confronted by multiple existential challenges of immediacy lodged in the political, security, social, humanitarian and environmental domains,” he said.
Dr. Gonsalves said CARICOM is seeking to facilitate a political solution by engaging the “widest cross-section of stakeholders to fashion a government of national unity to replace that which is bedeviled by a lack of legitimacy and effectiveness, and to prepare the way for democratic elections in a suitable time-frame.”
He said the political actors in Haiti, upon whose agreement this broad-based government is to be grounded, are required to own this process and hammer out the necessary compromises.
“Thus far, this has not happened,” he lamented, but added that the Eminent Persons Group of CARICOM are “determined to persist with their efforts to build a desirable political consensus.”
At the same time, Prime Minister Gonsalves said the United Nations’ Security Council “cannot reasonably stand askance from this process in circumstances in which the criminal gangs, inclusive of those with links to the government and National Police, are essentially in control of the capital city and major productive centers in the country.”
He said security supports, “not an imperial invasion, are required to accompany a political consensus, so as to bolster humanitarian assistance, economic development, and a more orderly way of life and living.”
Gonsalves said “huge economic assistance — a veritable Marshall Plan – financed by the international community, has to be mounted in tandem with the political, security and humanitarian initiatives.
“The situation is dire and growing worse by the day,” he warned. “We must not allow ourselves the luxury of Haiti fatigue.”
St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr. Terrance M. Drew said the “ongoing dire situation in our sister nation, Haiti, demands the sustained attention and support of the international community.
“Haiti, the first free Black republic in the Western Hemisphere, continues to grapple with an unimaginable scale of human suffering,” he said. “A political resolution is urgently needed, while also recognizing that appropriate measures must be taken to reverse Haiti’s legacy of underdevelopment.
“We cannot move forward on the acceleration of Agenda 2030 if we continue to knowingly and deliberately leave some people behind,” Prime Minister Drew warned.
Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica, reiterated Jamaica’s and CARICOM’s call for international action to restore order and security Haiti.
“It is critical that we protect vulnerable Haitian lives and allow the country to move towards achieving its sustainable development goals,” she said. “We fully support all meaningful efforts to contribute to Haitian-led solutions to the multi-dimensional and multi-faceted challenges with which they are faced.
“Let me be clear: there are no easy fixes. But let me be equally clear – doing nothing is not an option,” she said, adding that Jamaica supports the call for a multinational security support mission to bolster the Haitian National Police in its efforts to “vanquish ever strengthening criminal gangs.”
Johnson Smith said Prime Minister Andrew Holness has made clear that subject to the relevant Security Council resolution, Jamaica will contribute personnel to participate in such an effort.
“We listened in Port-au-Prince (the Haitian capital) when the CARICOM mission visited earlier this year. We have also heard the clear call of the majority of the Haitian people as reflected in the polls conducted in Haiti by reputable local civil society and international agencies,” she said. “We, therefore, urge the permanent members of the Security Council to put aside geo-political sensitivities, and to answer the call of the Haitian people and of their brothers and sisters in the Caribbean region. A UNSC (United Nations Security Council) Chapter 7 resolution authorizing a multi-national security support mission must be adopted without further delay.”
In addressing the UN General Assembly Debate, Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry again appealed for international support to combat rampant gang violence – one element of the multi-dimensional crisis affecting his country.
Henry said armed groups control areas of Port-au-Prince and some towns, blocking roads, driving citizens from their homes, and forcing the closure of schools, hospitals and businesses.
The “non-exhaustive” list of violations and crimes they have committed includes massacres, kidnappings, pillaging, sexual violence, human trafficking and child recruitment, he said.
“The daily life of the people of Haiti is very difficult,” said Henry, speaking through an interpreter. “That is why the Security Council, which has the power and the necessary authority under Chapter Seven of the [UN] Charter, must take urgent action by authorizing the deployment of a multinational support mission to underpin security in Haiti.”
The establishment of a multinational security support mission for Haiti was discussed this week by the UN Security Council, as the Caribbean nation continues to face a crisis of violence and insecurity caused by entrenched criminal gang activity
The UN said Haiti is wracked by violence that has escalated to unprecedented levels. Between January 1 and September 9 this year, 3,000 homicides were reported, the UN said.
It said there were also over 1,500 victims of kidnapping for ransom, and that some 200,000 people (half of whom are children) have been forced to flee their homes “because it’s just too dangerous to remain.”
The UN also said sexual violence and abuse against women and girls is on the rise, and that tens of thousands of children are unable to attend school due to insecurity.
In his speech, US President Joe Biden said the “people of Haiti cannot wait much longer,” and Luis Rodolfo Abinader Corona, the President of the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, called for “a revival of our collective determination to forge a more secure, inclusive and sustainable future for Haiti”.
On Thursday, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, called for a multinational security support mission to assist the Haitian National Police (HNP) and combat the alarming escalation of violence and insecurity there.
“Every day the lives of Haitian people become even harder, but it is vital that we do not give up. Their situation is not hopeless. With international support and resolve, the Haitian people can tackle this grave insecurity, and find a way out of this chaos,” Türk said.
