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Remarks by Ambassador Geng Shuang at Security Council Briefing on Haiti

2021-10-04 12:45

Mr. President,

I congratulate Kenya on taking over the Council's presidency for the month of October. We assure you of our full support in the fulfillment of your mandate. I also extend my congratulations to Ireland on the successful completion of its presidency in September, and thank Ambassador Nason and her team for their work.

China thanks Special Representative La Lime for her briefing. I would like to say that you and your colleagues have been working tirelessly in a difficult situation. We would like to pay our respect to you. I also listened carefully to the statement made by the representative of the Haitian civil society.

The past four months has witnessed continued political volatility in Haiti. Its security and humanitarian crisis has not improved in the slightest. In fact, it has been going from bad to worse. We express our deep sympathy for the tragic plight of the Haitian people. The Haitian government and political leaders must, in the interests of the people and the country, desist from power struggle, discharge their responsibilities in good faith, and take action to put the country on a proper track of development.

First, to move forward the political transition with a sense of urgency. Although Prime Minister Henry recently reached an agreement with some parties on the electoral timetable and pre-election political arrangements, some civil society groups and political parties in Haiti have divergent views on the said issues. The two camps remain divided. The repeated postponement of the constitutional referendum and presidential and parliamentary elections would only add to the uncertainty of the political situation in Haiti. We call on all parties in Haiti to act in the country's best interest and, in the spirit of mutual understanding and accommodation, show flexibility, move in the same direction, and reach agreement on the relevant arrangements without delay through broad political consultations, so as to ensure the elections can take place as early as possible.

Second, to spare no effort in humanitarian assistance and post-disaster reconstruction. The earthquake and the subsequent tropical storm in Haiti caused heavy casualties and property loss. An additional 650,000 people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. China calls on the international community to respond actively to the UN humanitarian emergency appeals totaling about 187 million US dollars, and urges the Haitian government to work closely with the UN system to ensure that supplies reach people most in need and to avoid waste and embezzlement.

Third, to combat criminal gangs with full force. The gangs in Haiti are running amok, and what they are capable of knows no limits, creating all sorts of egregious chaos in society, and responsible for the displacement of 19,000 people since June alone. The Haitian government should effectively build up the capacity of its police force, and implement the National Strategy for Community Violence Reduction without delay, to remove the tumor of gang violence as early as possible. Politicians must divest themselves of any interest connected with gangs, Anyone associated with gang activities must be banned from politics and public office.

Mr. President,

Faced with natural and man-made disasters, many desperate Haitians had no choice but to flee their homes. The unfair treatment they have received in foreign land is heartbreaking. The mass repatriation of them by the Us has undermined their basic rights. China shares the concern expressed by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. We hope that the human rights and dignity of Haitian migrants will be duly protected.

Mr. President.

In his latest report, the Secretary-general notes that international aid efforts since 2010, which total some 14.7 billion US dollars to date, have yet to deliver the expected results. The Chinese delegation, in the previous Council deliberations, has repeatedly stressed that there is no external solution to the Haitian dossier, and that it is ultimately up to the Haitian people themselves to bring the country out of its plight. The international community's long standing assistance model that can be compared to blood transfusion and oxygen supply to Haiti has proven to be neither markedly effective nor sustainable. The UN's presence in Haiti should be improved and adjusted.

We are ready to join the rest of the Council members to address the systemic and operational impediments to peace and development in Haiti, and to consider adopting a novel approach to help Haiti come out of its plight. China is ready to discuss in depth with all parties the renewal of BINUH’s mandate, including the time limit and the content of BINUH’s mandate. We are also ready to discuss in depth the relationship between the work of BINUH, the UN country team in Haiti, and the Organization of American States, in order to jointly find a way to help Haiti overcome the crisis and get on the right track.

I would like to stress finally that regardless of what the UN is doing, what matters the most is for all the political parties in Haiti to reflect on the problems that exist, and genuinely shoulder their responsibility to the country and their people.

Thank you, Mr. President.

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