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Remarks by Ambassador Zhang Jun at the UN Security Council Briefing on BINUH

2022-06-16 19:45

Madam President,

First of all, I would like to thank Special Representative La Lime for her briefing. I also listened carefully to the intervention of the civil society representative.

The Secretary-General’s report and the SRSG’s briefing show that Haiti is deeply mired in political, economic, security and humanitarian crises, which is disappointing and disquieting. We express our profound sympathies for the Haitian people’s tragic plight, and our serious concerns over the escalation of gang violence, kidnapping and maiming of women and children. A large number of Haitians fled their home in despair, but they are then violently expelled and repatriated en masse by some country in an inhumane way. The basic human rights of Haitian refugees, especially women and children, were grossly violated. This situation is of great concern. China strongly condemns the kidnapping of UN staff, and calls on the Haitian Government to provide effective protection of their safety and security.

We strongly appeal to all political parties in Haiti to actively respond to people’s expectations, abandon self interest, show geopolitical responsibility and accountability, end the senseless political struggles, restore as soon as possible constitutional law and order and state governance, and put an end to disorderliness. This is the only way for Haiti to achieve security and stability, and emerge from the crisis.

Over the past 30 years, the UN has made immense efforts and invested huge resources in aid of Haiti. But the security and humanitarian situations in the country have gone from bad to worse, with the people still in great suffering. According to the Secretary-General’s latest report, as we speak, 4.9 million Haitian people are relying on humanitarian assistance, accounting for 43% of the total population. Gang violence is spiraling upward. From January to May this year, the number of kidnappings increased by 36.4% over the same period of last year, with May alone having nearly 200 kidnappings and over 2,000 murders, which is at a record high. The collusion between gang forces and government officials has contributed to rampant transnational crime, smuggling, and drug trafficking, while national governance is as good as none.

The international community should base itself on reality, learn from the lessons of the past, eliminate the systematic and structural problems that hinder Haiti’s peaceful development, and explore ways to provide more targeted and effective support and assistance to Haiti.

Firstly, emphasis should be given to the political process, pushing Haiti to end the political deadlock as soon as possible. An effective constitutional mechanism and order represents the fundamental precondition for Haiti’s attainment of lasting security and stability. To promote a political solution that is owned and led by Haitian people, BINUH should increase its sense of urgency, and step up its political mediation efforts. An urgent priority is to urge the Haitian Government and political leaders to shoulder effectively their responsibility of managing the country, prompt all parties to proceed in the interests of the country and the people, and, through dialogue and consultation, determine the transitional political process and general election arrangements, with a view to an early restoration of the constitutional order.

Secondly, effective measures should be taken to effectively improve the security situation by starting at the roots. the Secretary-General points out in the BINUH mandate assessment report that attention should be given to addressing the root causes that underline the volatile security situation in Haiti. We have noted that BINUH is assisting Haiti in strengthening its police capacity building, and is cooperating with UNODC to strengthen port control and combat smuggling. Lessons from the past show that to restore social stability and security and to totally crack down on gang activities, it is essential to cut off the supply chain of gang funding and weaponry, especially to severely punish gang leaders and politicians who are in collusion for profit.

The Council should consider taking effective measures in this regard, give a clear warning against acts that obstruct and undermine the process of political dialogue and threaten Haiti’s security, and take measures against gang leaders and politicians who collude with gang forces.

Thirdly, countries in Latin America and the Caribbean can leverage their advantages and play a greater role in supporting peace and development in Haiti. The situation in Haiti has remained turbulent for a long time. Its spillover effects are posing an ever increasing threat to regional security and stability. China calls on regional countries and organizations to help Haiti promote political dialogue, and enhance coordination and cooperation in combating drug trafficking, arms smuggling, and illegal capital flows.

China hopes that the Security Council will seize the opportunity of the renewal of BINUH’s mandate to take a comprehensive review of BINUH’s work, and, in light of the latest situation in Haiti and the Secretary-General’s mandate assessment report, explore more effective ways for BINUH to provide Haiti with support. BINUH’s mandate should have the right focus, target at the symptoms, and be results-oriented. Additionally, it should, through a regular review mechanism, assess the outcome of implementing all mandated tasks, and make timely adjustments and optimization. The Council's support for BINUH should be seen as hopes and seen to have produced results, rather than one disappointment after another.

China stands ready to have in-depth discussions with other Council members on BINUH’s mandate renewal, including the mandated tasks and duration, as well as the coordination and cooperation between BINUH and UN system agencies present in Haiti, so as to jointly explore practical, effective, and sustainable ways to help Haiti get out of the crisis at an early date and embark on the right path of peaceful development.

Thank you, Madam President.

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