The UN Security Council adopted a resolution according to which a multinational mission in Haiti will be established. The key objective of the mission is to provide operational support to the Haitian National Police in the fight against crime and other illegal activities. The duration of the mission will be one year.
The resolution proposed by the United States and Ecuador was supported by 13 members of the Security Council – China and Russia abstained. The costs of conducting a temporary operation to help ensure order in the country will be covered by voluntary contributions and support from individual Member States and regional organizations "in strict accordance with international law." UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the high level of armed violence has serious consequences for socio-economic activity.
Shortly before the resolution was adopted, Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, called for the creation of a multinational mission. In his report, he provided information on the situation in the country. In 2023, Haiti is experiencing an unprecedented escalation of violence – from January 1 to August 15 of this year, at least 2,439 people were killed, 902 were injured, and 951 people were abducted in the country, according to the UN. Security problems are exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the country – the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance has almost doubled in three years.
Security problems in Haiti and the humanitarian situation worsened after the assassination of President Jovenel Moiz in 2021, as well as after the earthquake that occurred in August of the same year. Instability and inability to respond to the challenges that have arisen have led to an increase in crime in the country and the creation of illegal gangs, which currently represent a significant force on the island.
Earlier, Kenya made a proposal to send a multinational force to Haiti in cooperation with the Friends of Haiti group of States. The African Republic pledged to send 1,000 police officers to the country "to assist in training and assisting the Haitian police in restoring normal life in the country and protecting strategic facilities." However, Kenyan Foreign Minister Alfred Mutua said that this would be possible only after the approval of the Security Council. The Nairobi initiative was then supported by Washington.
Source: UN
