CARICOM foreign ministers welcome updated report on Haiti

UNITED NATIONS (CMC):

Caribbean Community (CARICOM) foreign ministers have reiterated their support for Haiti as the regional grouping received an updated report on the efforts being made to transition of the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission to a Gang Suppression Force (GSF) and the establishment of a UN Support Office in Haiti.

A CARICOM statement issued on Tuesday said that the foreign ministers who met during the 24th Special Meeting of the CARICOM Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR), received the update on the resolution being proposed by the United States and Panama.

“They expressed support for the initiative to enhance security support to Haiti, and called on the members of the Security Council to support the draft resolution when it is tabled for adoption,” the brief CARICOM statement said, adding that “the COFCOR believes the resolution is a critical step towards providing much-needed relief and a sense of normalcy for the people of Haiti”.

Earlier, CARICOM Secretary General, Dr Carla Barnett, had told the COFCOR meeting that the agenda before it “will hopefully facilitate frank and meaningful discussions on several crucial and urgent matters for our Community”

She said that the ongoing insecurity and humanitarian crisis in Haiti continue to receive priority attention.

“We will use this opportunity to discuss the community’s efforts to support the restoration of security, stability, and recovery in Haiti, in the context of new initiatives by the Organization of American States (OAS) and the UN Security Council (UNSC), which have received some input from CARICOM.

“We will also engage with representatives of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the newly established Regional Office of Human Rights dedicated to the Caribbean, and with Austria, one of the traditional partners with whom our community maintains excellent relations.”

She said that the meeting was taking place against the backdrop of an international order that is being disrupted by divisive and challenging geopolitical issues, global conflicts, and threats to multilateralism.

“This week is an opportune time for CARICOM to capitalise on its presence in New York, to deepen collaboration with our international partners and advance our shared interests. I urge us all to commit to enhanced engagement among ourselves.

“Let us seize every opportunity for dialogue among ourselves, in order to coordinate advocacy so as to ensure that our collective voice is increasingly impactful on the global stage,” she added.

On Monday, during a high-level meeting on Haiti, the United States, Kenya, and Haiti called for support for the transformation of the MSS Mission in the French-speaking member CARICOM state to be a more robust ‘Gang Suppression Force’ (GSF), ahead of a vote at the UN Security Council later this month.

Kenyan President William Ruto acknowledged that the mission’s efforts had been undermined by a lack of material, logistical, and financial resources.

“Of the 2,500 police officers the force was initially supposed to have, fewer than 1,000 are currently deployed. Added to this are defective American armored vehicles and a lack of international support

“We cannot depend on charity. Funding must be predictable,” Ruto said, adding only a mission with clear objectives, guaranteed resources, and solid logistical support would be able to address these structural deficiencies

US Assistant Secretary of State, Christopher Landau, told the conference that Washington is also supportive of the MSS being transformed into a 5,500-member FRG, mandated by the UN under Chapter VII of the organisation’s Charter, which allows the Security Council to authorise the use of military force in the event of a threat to peace.

”Despite the contributions of Kenya and the countries that have joined the MSS though, the mission currently lacks the mandate and the resources necessary to address the mounting scale of the challenge.

“That is why the United States and Panama have worked with Haiti to introduce a UN Security Council resolution to establish a larger gang suppression force with a broader mandate”.