Mr. President,

I would like to thank Under-Secretaries-General Le Roy and Amos for the briefings they have given us. I also wish to thank the representative of Haiti for the statement he has made.

The earthquake of 12 January 2010 produced unprecedented devastation in Haiti. The United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) also suffered heavy losses. Eight Chinese peacekeeping police officers were killed. China would again like to extend its deep condolences to the families of the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. We hope that, with the support of the international community, the people of Haiti will come together and rebuild their homes at an early date.

The current situation in Haiti is serious and fragile. The process of consolidating security and achieving sustainable peace and stability faces many challenges. We believe that the United Nations and the international community should focus in the short term on providing support and assistance in the following three aspects.

First, they should promote an appropriate solution to Haiti’s presidential election crisis. Holding free, fair and credible elections in Haiti will be of great significance to lasting peace and stability and postdisaster reconstruction in the country. We call on all sides in Haiti to focus on the peace and stability of the country and the well-being of the people; uphold unity, renounce violence, avoid provocations; resolve disputes through consultations within the framework of Haiti’s Constitution and laws; and ensure that the elections truly reflect the will of the Haitian people. We appreciate the active role played by the Organization of American States in this regard.

Secondly, support to Haiti’s post-disaster reconstruction efforts should be stepped up. Rebuilding Haiti will take years of hard work, there will be many challenges, and the long-term support and assistance of the international community will be needed. We call on all relevant actors to provide the assistance they committed to Haiti as soon as possible. United Nations agencies, international financial instructions and regional organizations should further enhance coordination, clarify the division of labour, improve aid effectiveness, and avoid duplication and the wasting of resources. We support the United Nations in playing a more effective coordinating role in the process of Haiti’s post-disaster reconstruction.

Thirdly, we must help Haiti to deal with the cholera epidemic, which has brought further suffering to its people. The international community should continue to provide assistance to Haiti in preventing and controlling the cholera epidemic so as to prevent any further spread.

MINUSTAH has played an important role in maintaining security and stability in Haiti. We appreciate the contributions made by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and MINUSTAH under difficult conditions. In the current situation, MINUSTAH should concentrate on helping Haiti maintain security and stability, promote the political process and support Haiti’s capacity-building in the security and judicial sectors. We also hope that the United Nations will enhance its comprehensive evaluation of the situation in Haiti, improve its security, early warning and crisis management capacities, and effectively respond to various security threats and challenges.