Haiti: A3 Statement

Thank you, Mr/Madam President,

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the A3; namely, Gabon, Ghana and Kenya.

We thank China for calling for this meeting; and also thank SRSG Helen La Lime, Ms. Ghada Waly, Executive Director of UNODC and the WFP representative for their briefing.

We welcome the participation of Your Excellencies, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Worship of Haiti, Mr. Jean Victor Geneus, Minister for Foreign Affairs for Canada, Ms. Melanie Joly and Minister for Foreign Affairs for the Dominican Republic, Mr. Roberto Alvaro Gil.

The A3 remains deeply concerned by the rapidly deteriorating situation in Haiti. Present trends holding, the people of Haiti will suffer state failure, worsening humanitarian suffering and insecurity.

The dimensions of the crisis are well documented and there is no further need to dwell on them without putting forward practical proposals.

During the Council's last meeting on this situation, in June, members expressed strong convictions that drastic and urgent action was needed to arrest any further deterioration.

The solutions tabled however paled compared to the scale of the crisis. While a more resourced BINUH is welcome, as is a relatively modest effort to train and better equip the police, it is clear more is needed.

However, even as the A3 urges more ambitious action, we recognise that historically, Haiti's experience of interventions by the International Community and external actors has been profoundly damaging. As such, any actions supported by the Council must take the failures of the past into account and be accompanied by extensive confidence-building, transparency and respect.

They must be rooted in Haitian-led, Haitian-designed, Haitian-responsive, and Haitian-caring frameworks and mindsets. The trust of the Haitian people in any efforts promoted by the Council specifically, and the UN in general, is an irreducible minimum.

We believe that generating that trust needs new efforts and more partners to contribute to ongoing efforts and institutional initiatives. In particular, we commend the positive actions taken by CARICOM. We urge all international partners to work closely with CARICOM in generating financial and technical resources that are deployed in line with Haitian needs and priorities.

As African representatives, we commit to becoming more involved at the political and technical level. We invite the CARICOM to collaborate with the African Union to bring its expertise to bear on the situation in Haiti. Haiti, as a storied land populated by Africa's diaspora, is part of the Sixth Region of the African Union, as articulated in our Constitutive Act. There is no more urgent consideration of the continent's solidarity with the Sixth Region than by its efforts to support Haiti in every way.

We have the ability and the experience. Africa has mediated complex and difficult conflict situations. We have recovered from failed states. We have faced negative armed groups of different kinds in urban and rural environments. The continent has the experience and the know-how; it also has the political and cultural sensitivity to be a trusted partner to Haiti.

Madam President, with these concerns and observations in mind, we, as the A3, offer the following proposals:

The immediate focus should be to offer the Haitian National Police sufficient training and equipment to effectively challenge armed gangs. It would be particularly helpful if the training was undertaken by countries that have the experience and whose policing professionals can relate well to their Haitian counterparts.

We look forward to the Secretary-General's recommendations in his report that is due mid next month on options available to assist the police in tackling armed gang violence. We hope that they will respond to the willingness of CARICOM and AU members to be part of the solution.

There may be a need for more specialised skills than are now available. We recommend a Haitian-designed and coordinated cooperation framework that enables, if necessary, the deployment of UN-supported and mandated police with specific skills in suppressing violent gangs.

A stronger police will only succeed if its work is in concert with a strengthened judiciary. Every effort should be taken to resource for delivery of comprehensive criminal-justice sector reforms. The aim should be to establish functioning court registries, expedite court cases, and eliminate the prolonged pre-trial detentions.

A competent state is a minimum requirement for a peaceful and prosperous Haiti. It is imperative that investment be undertaken in the training of the public service and its incentives aligned with effective delivery. This requires patience, scale and financing. Grants by bilateral and multilateral partners should prioritise public sector reforms and strengthening.

As long as Haitians are food insecure, they will have a serious deficit of hope in the future. We commend bilateral and multilateral actions to provide immediate relief and aid. This should be complemented by ambitious efforts to increase agricultural productivity for the sake of cheaper food and improved livelihoods.

The milestone lessons learned during the design and deployment of the African Union/African Vaccine Acquisition Trust can be applied. The African trust created the largest buyer market for vaccines and used the economies of scale for members of the AU and also for the Caribbean. The same approach can be used in the acquisition of grains and fertilisers.

Mr/Madam President, Africa is inspired by the Haitian revolution and its triumphant realisation of freedom and independence. The people of Haiti continue to suffer the consequences of their rejection of oppression and exploitation.

It is time now for Africa to go beyond appreciation of that glorious history to practical solidarity in responding to the challenges that Haiti faces. We will do so with humility since we are also facing major emergencies, but confident in the knowledge that our unity can deliver solutions.

To conclude, Mr/Madam President, the A3 reaffirms its respect for the sovereignty and political independence of Haiti, and our undying solidarity with all Haitians.

I thank you for your attention.